AFA Perspectives - 2020 - Issue (1) 2

Throughout the process of developing this issue of Perspectives, our world has been rapidly shifting. As such, the concept of timely and relevant content has proven to be a moving target. When we initially decided upon a topic for What’s Your Perspective, we asked AFA members to reflect upon what they had learned through the experience of responding to COVID-19 and the transition of higher education to a virtual environment [Question A]. After the tragic murder of George Floyd and the subsequent reaction throughout society it became clear that a moment of deep introspection was occurring. Therefore, we decided to go back to you, our readers and AFA members, to consider a new prompt. This time we asked you to reflect on what it would look like to dismantle systemic oppression within the fraternity and sorority experience. Regarding race, what would a truly antiracist professional industry and member experience look like ... one that moves beyond mere inclusion to establishing a true sense of belonging and equity for all [Question B]?

When it came time for publication, we decided that both prompts remain relevant to our professional worlds, and they are likely to remain so for a long time. So, we decided to publish the responses to both prompts in this issue’s What’s Your Perspective. We want to express our deep appreciation for our contributors who were willing to share their insights with us in this space and to help us all learn from their experiences as we jointly navigate what could possibly be the most challenging time period of our careers.

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