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Racial Equity Working Group Report
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; October 6, 2020
Executive Summary
Following the unrest and nation-wide soul-searching that occurred after the death of George Floyd,
Fuqua School of Business Dean Bill Boulding committed Fuqua to address issues of racial
inequity:
“We can collectively commit to leading the way in our industry, our community and in each of our
lives in being anti-racist. We can make this the moment we begin dismantling systemic racism.
Our community prides itself on decency. Now, more than ever, we need to let our decency shine
through and fully hold ourselves accountable to living our values every day.”
– Bill Boulding
Dean Boulding’s June 15, 2020 message announced specific commitments that the Fuqua School
of Business would enact to address racism and racial inequities faced by many, with a specific
focus on the experiences of Black Americans.* One week later Dean Boulding formed the Racial
Equity Working Group (REWG) to make recommendations on how to implement these stated
commitments. The REWG focused on recommendations pertaining to the Black experience,
though also considered Latinx and broader diversity issues when there were natural synergies and
complementarities.
*https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/commitment-to-action
Purpose: This report summarizes the recommendations made by the Racial Equity Working
Group (REWG) to implement initiatives that address issues of race at Fuqua and in some cases in
the broader community in which Fuqua operates.
Approach: At the initial meeting of the 18-member team, REWG formed four subgroups: alumni,
staff, students, and faculty. The full REWG held weekly meetings, with subgroups holding
separate weekly meetings. Each of the four subgroups generated recommendations for
implementation that were commensurate with their function as a group at Fuqua (e.g., faculty task
force members generated the first iteration of the Teaching & Curriculum section). The report was
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