As many of you know, it was announced this morning that there will be a private memorial service in Minneapolis for George Floyd this Thursday, June 4 from 1-3 p.m. The service will be held at North Central University for the family, friends and invited guests of the Floyd family and broadcast via live stream on local media outlets.
In recognition of both the life and tragic death of Mr. Floyd, the University of St. Thomas will be closed, and all classes will be cancelled on Thursday and Friday, June 4 and 5. This is important to allow our community members space to view the memorial or otherwise participate in related activities and events honoring and demanding justice for Mr. Floyd. Equally important, it will allow our community additional time to process, pray about and reflect upon all that has occurred and to better recognize the inequities and social injustices that have become part of our community fabric at St. Thomas and within our state and nation.
As I said this morning, there is hard work ahead. Please use this period of prayer and reflection to help us better define a path forward, a path that includes personal and university commitment and accountability.
