UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced the official launch of a new commission to address and contextualize the university’s history regarding slavery and race relations.

In a release Wednesday night, Guskiewicz revealed the members of the Commission on History, Race and A Way Forward. Made to build upon the findings and feedback generated from former chancellor Carol Folt’s task force on university history, the goal of the commission is to study UNC’s complicated history, use the information to heal and move toward a new understanding as a campus community.

“As a passionately public university,” Guskiewicz said in a statement, “we aim to teach a diverse community of undergraduate, graduate and professional students to become the next generation of leaders. Diversity and inclusion are integrally connected to excellence in making new discoveries and in our service to the people of North Carolina and beyond.”

The release said the new commission will focus on three main areas. The first is studying the university’s archives to further the research and curation of its history. The second is developing curricula for students and finding ways to assist faculty in teaching about UNC’s history within the university’s new general education curriculum. The final element is engagement with the campus community, discussion of ethics and reckoning with past actions and experiences.

Guskiewicz also provided an update on the $5 million fund he announced at his introductory press conference as permanent chancellor in December. He said the Build Our Community Together Fund will be allocated for initiatives including the Commission on History, Race and A War Forward in addition to the Campus Safety Commission, The Reckoning Initiative and a new project called Southern Futures. The release also said student, faculty and staff proposals for initiatives can be submitted and reviewed for consideration.

“Our University is many things,” said Guskiewicz, “but our core mission is fostering teaching, learning and research that improves the human condition. To accomplish this, we need a strong, stable and welcoming community, where everyone feels emboldened to do their best work and all are dedicated to fostering an environment of inclusive excellence.”

The announcement of new fund followed the UNC System Board of Governor’s decision to cede possession of the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam to a pro-Confederate group in late November. The decision, along with the board’s creation of a $2.5 million fund for the statue’s preservation and display off UNC’s campus, sparked widespread criticism. Students led protests on campus, the UNC Faculty Council condemned the decision with a resolution, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren shamed the Board of Governors on Twitter over the settlement.

For more information on how to submit proposals for the Build Our Community Together Fund, as well as Guskiewicz’s full comments and the list of members serving on the new commission, visit UNC’s website.

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