Dear Wellesley Community,
The news of last night’s shootings in Atlanta is devastating. Six of the eight people killed were Asian, two were white, and all but one were women.
These killings come amid a troubling and terrifying spike in anti-Asian violence, which was the subject of my message this past weekend.
Hate crimes in the United States based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality have been on the rise since 2017, and a recent report examining police department statistics in 16 cities found that anti-Asian hate crimes were up nearly 150 percent in 2020. Violence against women and girls has increased globally in the past year as well.
This has not happened by accident. The cruel and divisive rhetoric that marked the past four years has created an atmosphere of distrust and anger against people of color and women, and we are seeing the impact. Speech that degrades, insults, and belittles has consequences. Sometimes those consequences are deadly. They can also be more insidious, leading to prejudice, discrimination, and a fraying of the social fabric in ways that allow hate to grow.
The increase in hate speech and hate crimes against vulnerable people is a powerful reminder that COVID-19 is not the only disease that ails our country. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism are still very much with us. While we wait with hope for the vaccine that will protect us from the coronavirus, let us remember that the only vaccine for hate is love. A love that rejects racism and discrimination. A love that sees and celebrates difference. A love that unites in the face of division. A love that knows there is only us, there is no them.
Let us, through our words, our deeds, and our thoughts, become the antidote we seek. By treating each other with respect and with love, let us bring healing to our community and beyond.
Sincerely,
Paula A. Johnson
President
