Dear Campus Community,
On February 23, 2020 Ahmaud Arbery went for a jog, and was murdered. Three and a half months later three men were charged with his murder and on Wednesday November 23, 2021 these three men were convicted of this crime. Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today, so should Brianna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others who have lost their lives due to racial prejudice, hatred, white supremacy and injustice. The conviction rendered this week in the Arbery case indicates that accountability for racial injustices is possible, however there is much work to be done; we must continue our efforts to eliminate racial hatred and racial inequities.
I invite all of us in the Puget Sound Community to engage in reflection of the jury’s decision and then lean into action for true justice, as pointed out by U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock on Twitter: “True justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed—or killed—while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.” True justice involves making a future in which people don’t live in fear of racialized violence. I invite all of us to engage in seeking true justice by finding ways to eliminate all violence and the dehumanizing of the “other.” We have work to do, including in our community. This work is most effective if we do it together, finding ways to address the areas in which we have failed, those in which we can do better, and celebrate those in which we are doing well. The University Chaplain, in conjunction with the office of Institutional Equity and Diversity will hold a gathering space on Wednesday, December 1, from 11 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in Trimble Forum for those interested in engaging in reflection and dialogue.
I invite us all to live in community as we learn to address, respect and value the rich diversity we bring to our campus.
In solidarity,
Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, Ph.D. (She, Her, Hers)
Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity