We, as a Department, condemn the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers, and the systemic social injustice that has led to the tragic loss of black lives and great public unrest. We stand firmly together with President Loh and President-Designate Pines to declare that Black Lives Matter. We support the many members of our community who are deeply affected by recent events and continue to experience social injustice and systemic racism in their lives.

Our Department has a tradition of diversity that is a source of great pride. We place immense value on the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, and embrace the differences that allow us to realize our education and research mission. These tragic circumstances demand internal reflection, increased awareness, and courageous dialogue. Although we have made progress as a Department, we must renew our efforts to identify, understand and remove those barriers and biases that members of our community continue to experience. The Department will create space for new dialogues to raise important issues of social justice and structural racism and will invite your participation. In diversity we celebrate our shared humanity; with inclusivity we show respect and demonstrate our equality.