The events of the last two weeks from Ferguson to Staten Island have once again raised serious questions about whether the same justice exists for everyone in our country. My heart goes out to the families who are suffering. I know that these have been difficult days for members of our community as well, particularly our students, faculty, staff and alumnae of African descent, as they struggle to make sense of the decisions and to understand their implications for their friends, their family, and communities across the country.
Today our students have brought the national discussion to life on our campus. I support them in their protest.
In reflecting on the situation, I am grateful for our Wellesley tradition of reasoned discourse and commitment to justice. We must recognize that there is much work to be done across our country—and we must start in our own community.
We must confront any racial injustices that black students, faculty, and staff face on our campus, and we, as an institution, must demonstrate the value that all members of our community bring through our actions and response to these injustices.
These conversations are not easy. But let us not be deterred from the important work that lies ahead.
I ‘stand’ with the students!
As a proud alumna of African descent….I want to say thank you for this blog post! It means a lot 🙂