May 17, 2022
Who would think something as simple as going to the grocery store, church, or shopping could end in tragedy and harm? We've all likely asked ourselves that question over the past few days. And we can't stop asking this question until change comes to pass.
Like you, we were sickened as news unfolded about the series of xenophobic and anti-Asian shootings that have targeted Korean women in North Dallas, the deadly massacre of Black grocery shoppers in Buffalo, NY, and the violent mass shooting targeting Taiwanese church goers in Orange County, CA. And yet again, we have learned that at the core of these heinous acts were hatred, racism, and nationalism.
No, this is not the first-time members of our Black American or Asian community have been targeted with injustice, but that certainly does not mean we should become desensitized to such inhumanity. Just as we inspire our students each day to pursue the future they've envisioned for themselves, we, as a society, must do the same.
Every person deserves to live life without fear or violation. Black Americans and Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans deserve health, to grow old, and to navigate life and its environments absent of oppression and supremacist vitriol.
Each day, we strive “to transform lives and communities through higher education." As we mourn the 10 lives lost in Saturday's massacre, alongside the life lost in Orange County, CA and send our healing thoughts to the several individuals who were shot here in Dallas, let us also reignite the call to action to let love — not hate — guide us toward the true transformation our society needs now more than ever.
Dr. Justin Lonon
Chancellor
Marisol Romany
Chief Social Responsibility and Inclusion Officer