President Julie Sullivan shared the following in an email to the St. Thomas community.
One year after the death of George Floyd, please join me in remembering the lives of all those lost to racial violence. We pray for their families, friends and communities.
Today, we recommit to work tirelessly to dismantle inequities at St. Thomas and beyond.
We are called to dismantle inequities of all forms, respect the human dignity in every person and fight for justice and the common good. These principles – and this work – are fundamental to who we are as a St. Thomas community and a Catholic university.
If you are on campus, stop by the Anderson Student Center, Father Dorsey Way. Student Diversity and Inclusion Services is hosting a sharing board for the community.
At noon, Dr. Yohuru Williams interviews high school and university students about their experiences of the year and the work left to be done. A separate Outlook invitation was sent to students, staff and faculty at St. Thomas.
And, finally, at 1 p.m., Gov. Walz has asked us to stop for a moment of silence – nine minutes and 29 seconds – to remember George Floyd and to recognize that our work to dismantle systematic racism and discrimination has not ended.
Thank you for the love you show to each other and for recommitting to this work today.
