The MU Faculty Council committee on race relations [released a statement](https://transparency.missouri.edu/2015/11/10/statement-from-university-of-missouri-faculty-council-on-race-relations/) on Tuesday, Nov. 10, calling for “engagement and reflection about race relations.”

Berkley Hudson, the committee chairman and an assistant professor in the School of Journalism, said in the statement that the committee is thankful that Jonathan Butler, one of the committee members, has ended his hunger strike. Butler’s actions were independent of the committee, Hudson said.

“Nonetheless, whether you understand his strategy or those of Concerned Student 1950, we call on the Mizzou community to explore deeply what is going on rather than to criticize these efforts,” Hudson said in the statement. “I say this as the chair of a dedicated group, which has met almost weekly since May and which represents many different viewpoints and backgrounds.”

Hudson said in the statement that the committee, which has 12 members including faculty, students and staff, “have discovered that the crosscurrents of racism are not well understood by everyone at Mizzou.”

He said the “ambitious” goal of the committee is “to name the problems of spirit-murder, to name possible solutions for Mizzou” and said the committee will continue to work with MU administration to improve race relations, especially in assisting faculty.

“We will continue to develop strategies aimed to especially assist faculty to negotiate the misunderstandings around race,” the statement read.

The statement then linked to a [series of videos](https://vimeopro.com/mizzouvideo/racerelations) that detail the mission of the race relations committee, the current racial landscape, changes to the racial landscape and responses to both skeptics and those who call for greater action.