Dean's Corner | February Issue: We are one community

Dear CSSW Community, 

As Acting President Claire Shipman shared last night in a video with our campus community, the Columbia student who was detained yesterday by the Department of Homeland Security has been released. While a relief, this does not diminish the range of emotions that many of us are still feeling. I want to state again that we are one community, committed to taking care of each other. 

As we close out February, I want to recognize the 100th anniversary of Black History Month – a time when our country formally honors the contributions, fight, and triumph of Black Americans. At Columbia School of Social Work, our commitment to the dignity and worth of every person is especially urgent as we honor those whose dignity has too often been denied. In a world that currently feels divisive and like a return to darker chapters, we must remind ourselves that commemoration is not passive – it is an act that can unify and strengthen our communities. By telling stories and elevating voices, we protect against efforts to distort, diminish, and erase them. 

And when we think about the stories that shape us, Rev. Jesse Jackson stands out. His was a story of moral courage, coalition-building, and unwavering belief in human dignity that is cemented in our nation’s history. Reverend Jackson expanded the promise of democracy to those too often excluded from it by founding Operation PUSH and Rainbow Coalition, today the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which fights for social change – registering millions of new voters and serving as a pioneer in Queer activism. As we mark this month of remembrance and recognition, we celebrate a legacy that continues to call us toward justice and action.

This season also marks the Lunar New Year, a time of renewal, reflection and the honoring of ancestry for many in our community. Lunar New Year reminds us that cultural memory is sustained through story, rituals, gatherings, and intergenerational connection. The Year of the Fire Horse has been described as representing forward movement, independence, and endurance – it points to definitive action without being impulsive, moving forward with intention. Sounds just right.

In January, I reflected on what it means to be a neighbor and how communities from Minnesota to New York have come together in moments of crisis. To be a neighbor is to care about how we affirm one anothers’ stories; and in doing so, work toward the key social work value of  strengthening human relationships for the empowerment of our communities.

I shared last Friday that after seven years leading this extraordinary school I will be stepping down as dean and returning to the faculty six months from now. I am so proud of this community and hopeful for future possibilities. Your work always inspires me, and in this moment, brings to mind a quote from Rev. Jackson: "Common ground leads to coalition, to cooperation, to reconciliation and redemption, and to higher moral and economic ground." I think this captures the social work ethos perfectly.

I have seen how this community shows up for one another, and I have no doubt that we will continue to do so through this challenging week and beyond. 

In community,

Melissa