Since the death of 46-year-old George Floyd on May 25 while in the custody of police officers, there has been outrage, disgust and sorrow from all corners of the country. Every time there is another senseless black death, there is a lot of talk, but nothing seems to change. Some of the many peaceful protests and demonstrations have turned to looting and violence in major cities around the country. Some believe it is the only way to get attention as years of talk and peaceful protests have not led to change.
Since my message last week about the University’s inclusiveness and zero tolerance policy, we have received messages of discontent and disappointment from some of our own black students—and understandably so. While we do, indeed, have a zero tolerance policy for racism, written or verbal expressions of prejudice, bullying and violence, some of our students and alumni are calling us out on our enforcement of that zero tolerance. It is safe to say that no university, no organization is perfect, and we have to take responsibility for how these members of our SHU community are feeling and for our lack of action in the past. Although difficult to hear, we are grateful for those members of our community who have come forward now. We have to do better—and we will.
I want to make you aware of some immediate actions in response to these concerns:
- We have set up a mailbox where you can reach out to us with your concerns about inclusion, racism and bullying. Please connect with us at diversityandinclusion@sacredheart.edu. We will respond to you, and we will take action.
- We have suspended—pending a disciplinary hearing—those current students whose racist speech or images on social media has been brought to our attention. They have also been removed from any athletic teams, clubs or organizations they may belong to.
- We are investigating the posts of two incoming students.
- We are creating a bias response team that is committed to ensuring that SHU provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all students, faculty and staff. We will share more details about that team in the next day or two.
At our Prayer for Unity service today, we prayed for the souls of the victims, for their families and friends and for all citizens of this country. We prayed for those members of the law enforcement community who have served honorably as first responders, especially those who are graduates of Sacred Heart of whom we are very proud. We prayed for an end to racism and hatred and asked that we could begin to be the solution, that we can shine a bright light into the dark corners where fear and hatred hide.
And going forward, as Father Tony suggested today, we need to pray with our feet, which means turning our current feelings of sadness, fear and frustration into action such as, taking a leadership role in sharing the teachings of peace and justice and being the vaccine that eliminates racism.
I am reminded of the words of Saint Oscar Romero, former archbishop of San Salvador, who said, “I will not tire of declaring that if we really want an effective end to violence, we must remove the violence that lies at the root of all violence: structural violence, social injustice, exclusion of citizens from the management of the country, repression. All this is what constitutes the primal cause, from which the rest flows naturally.”
We cannot be silent witnesses any longer. It is time to act.