May 29, 2020
I hope that you and your loved ones are well and safe during these challenging and unsettled times. While we are preoccupied with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our daily lives, recent events remind us that despite our common humanity, we remain a deeply divided nation.
Once again, we have witnessed how issues of racial injustice continue to loom large in American society. For far too long, racial disparities that permeate the criminal justice system often result in undermining its purpose. From Central Park to Minneapolis, Minnesota to Brunswick, Georgia and other parts of the country, we are reminded that we must do better to bridge the racial divide and to tear down the walls of institutional racism that surround us. These unfortunate and tragic events show that so much more work needs to be done to form “a more perfect union,” not just in our country but in our hearts and minds. We must treat each other with love and respect the inherent dignity of the human person.
On behalf of the entire St. John’s University community, I wish to express our sincere sympathy and solidarity with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor and other victims of injustice everywhere.
As a Catholic and Vincentian University, St. John’s strongly condemns all forms of racism, violence, intolerance, hate and bigotry. When atrocities occur in any place, all people must unite to condemn such violence and support the victims. We must speak out against racial injustice and hate.
Please join me in praying for the victims of injustice and for our nation to come together in our common humanity. We must rise above hatred and violence and work towards greater understanding and compassion for one another. The progress of the American experience is never complete but we can, we must, and we should do better.