Statement on impacts to the Black, Asian, and Jewish communities
The video released on Friday of the horrific beating and murder of a young Black man, Tyre Nichols, by Memphis police officers shows, unfortunately, how little has changed in this country in regards to respect for the lives of Black people since the murder of George Floyd in 2020. A routine traffic stop turns murderous for Black citizens almost every week in the United States of America. Despite the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of Floyd, there remain police officers who believe they can torture and kill a Black person on camera and get away with it. While convictions of these perpetrators are welcome, certainly, they cannot alleviate the deep pain we feel as a people and a nation as witnesses to such atrocities.
As we on our campus grapple with this example of inhumanity in the daily life of our nation, we can neither forget other dehumanizing events, such as the recent mass murder of Asian citizens in Monterey Park nor tolerate the recent distribution of horrific anti-Semitic propaganda against our Jewish community in our campus classrooms and in Isla Vista.
We want to ask our community that in these difficult, challenging times, we refuse to give into hate and refuse to give up in the face of hate and racial violence. We must not lose sight of our higher purpose to create an America where one day such inhumanities will not occur. And as we mourn, we must rededicate ourselves to consistently recognize, defend, and protect everyone’s right to live in peace, even as we confront a contemporary America which that right is so often denied.
We all experience and deal with community trauma in different ways. If you are in need of support or know someone who is, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Let's commit ourselves to working together for positive change.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Stewart
Interim Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Margaret Klawunn
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
