School of Business Professor Dr. Jing Zhang Speaks at Rally Against Hate
On March 27, 2021, School of Business (School of Business) Professor Dr. Jing Zhang took part in the “Stop Hate Rally and Run” event held in Boston along part of the Boston Marathon route. Organized by the New England Chinese American Alliance, in conjunction numerous other organizations, the rally condemned acts of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Zhang stood among local organization and political leaders as a keynote speaker, representing the BEN Running Club, one of the rally organizers and where she serves as a member of the board. Zhang is, herself, an avid runner and two-time Boston Marathon finisher.
Zhang’s speech to the supporters and runners was informative, insightful, and meaningful, and School of Business is incredibly proud to share it below.
Hello,
My name is Jing Zhang, and I am the Vice President of BEN Running Club. Thank you for coming out in force!
Today is an especially meaningful day for all of us. This is the fourth time that I am stepping on this sacred route, Boston Marathon route. I raced in the cold in 2018, in the heat in 2019, a virtual one in 2020, and today on March 27th 2021, I have the privilege of running together with you—my dear fellow runners, walkers, friends and families in our great community—a different race, a race with no less significance!
“Together, we can do this. We can walk, we can run, and we can leap! While we are doing this, we spread hope, love, unity and strength!”
I had been asked many times what BEN stands for. You have seen our logo. This is what we choose to carry on our back while racing—three Ox stacked together. The literal translation of this character is dashing, or running fast. You may wonder how with all the fast-running animals in the world and mythology, the old wisdom chose the Ox as the symbol for fast running. Because that is what the word really signifies –unity and strength. We may not be able to sprint in record speed, but by staying together, we can run really long. We can endure, through the difficult times—a tragedy like what just happened in Atlanta, a pandemic like what we have been living through in the past year, and some of the hardest fights and struggles in our lifetimes. Yet, just like the Ox, we run with dignity, compassion, solidarity, and resiliency.
So please, let us take this as an embarking place for a long race, a race against hate, biases, discriminations, and violence against humanity, especially those that target groups who may not be so fortunate to have the voice that we have today. Together, we can do this. We can walk, we can run, and we can leap! While we are doing this, we spread hope, love, unity and strength! Thank you!
News coverage of the rally can be found here, and a glimpse of Professor Zhang speaking can be seen in this news video.
School of Business staff and faculty stand with our esteemed colleague in condemning discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
~ Meredith Galena
School of Business Communications Specialist
