Dear Students, Friends and Colleagues,
We are sad, frustrated and angry at the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis recently. This violent, overtly racist act comes after years of structural racism, on top of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected people of color.
We stand in support of the protests that have been taking place across all fifty states. The violence against Black bodies has to stop. We reject attempts to delegitimize these very necessary and legitimate protests, protests whose one demand is a demand for justice.
To our Black students and colleagues: we are so sorry for what you are going through now, for the burden that you carry. We stand by you, we believe in you, we value you, we celebrate your accomplishments.
As we mourn the tragic losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and too many others nationwide, we recommit to antiracist work within our own community. We recommit to listening to and uplifting Black voices. We recommit to identifying and eliminating the ways in which our own department supports white supremacy. We recognize that this historical moment will influence the way that we function as a department, and commit to learning and growing with you.
Adolfo Rumbos
Ami Radunskaya
Blerta Shtylla
Edray Goins
Ellie Dannenberg
Gabe Chandler
Ghassan Sarkis
Gizem Karaali
Jo Hardin
Kathy Sheldon
Maryann Hohn
Shahriar Shahriari
Stephan Garcia
Vin de Silva