The tragic event of George Floyd’s murder and the emotions expressed as a result have reinforced how critically important it is for our nation to confront the persistent racism that has been present in our society for 400 years. If we ever hope to overcome the injustices faced by so many of our fellow Americans, we must engage with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment in an open and honest dialogue.
The moment is here. It is now.
Universities and colleges, including our 14 institutions, have a vital role to play here. Across our campuses and in our classrooms, people from every walk of life can come together and learn by listening to and engaging with one another, no matter their different perspectives, backgrounds, and opinions. People debate – sometimes uncomfortably – their very different ideas and world views. And through that debate, they manage more often than not to achieve new levels of understanding and to foster acceptance, tolerance, and compassion. Our universities are one of the few places left in our society that can foster this kind of engagement as a matter of mission and to do so in the interest of training the next generation of leaders, building a better future for our Commonwealth and our country.
However difficult this course, our universities remain committed to it. I am committed to it. I invite all of you to make that commitment, too.
During the past several days, I will admit to you that my irrepressible optimism has been tested. All of us have experienced so many emotions – anger, fear, worry, hope – as troubling events across the country and in our home towns have unfolded. Let’s choose to be comforted by the work of our universities in addressing these issues head on and constructively. Let’s choose to be comforted by the words of the famous gospel song “We Shall Overcome”. Let’s choose to be comforted by believing we have to overcome because the world we leave to our children through our failure is not one in which we want them to live. The choice to leave a better, more tolerant world is in front of us, and it can begin at our universities and colleges. I invite you to join me in making that choice.
