On Race Relations in America

I have been associated with many Universities globally. And that has been a wonderful privilege, and an opportunity to serve, learn and teach. Thank you all.

As we all know, America is now in the midst of intense action, conversation and reflection about race relations.

We are all anguished. We have to now only protest but also make wise policy choices, we have to not only act but also reflect, we have to not only express our anger and anguish at the injustices but also our love for each other.

I am now providing abstracts from two American University Presidents (City University of New York York College (CUNY) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and — I know both the institutions well, well enough.

Today, MIT holds a vigil at 5:30 PM.

CUNY (York College)

“These are tragic times, but we do not have to be limited by these events or in the ways we choose to respond to one another.  We must fully center our humanity toward one another and respond in ways that do not diminish human dignity.  We find ourselves in contested times and these trials and tribulations allow us to lean into the discomfort, sit with the pain, the fear and ask ourselves the hard questions.  What is my responsibility in this?  What action can I take?  How am I directly connected to these events?  To all of these people?  Only until we see ourselves directly related to each of these tragedies that have played out on our television screens, social media, and cities throughout our country, will we realize our responsibility to one another to ensuring the human dignity within each of us.  

I recognize the trauma and deep pain that many of our students, families, faculty and staff are experiencing in the wake of these most recent tragic acts of violence.  I want you to know you are not alone.  I stand with you along with so many others in our campus community, and we extend our support particularly to York’s Black students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners – we see you, we respect you and we support you.

Margaret Wheatley once stated “We can turn away or we can turn toward.  Those are the only two choices we have.”  I hope we choose to turn toward.”

MIT

“I know that the pain of these events is especially intense for certain members of our community, beginning with those who are African American and of African descent, though certainly not ending there. And I know that, in this time of tension around the pandemic and rising strains in US-China relations, others in our community are also suffering distinctive forms of harassment and discrimination.

I imagine that you may share my urgent desire to help, while feeling an awful powerlessness to do so. At this moment, let’s do what we can. I believe a place to begin is by cherishing and seeking to strengthen our dear MIT community. Imperfect, certainly. But a community with an essential commitment to facing hard facts, thoughtfully striving to correct our errors – and working together to address humanity’s greatest challenges. A community where we aspire always to treat one another with sympathy, humility, decency, respect and kindness.

Let us treasure and care for that community – and let us work to make it better.

In the days and months to come, I would like us to find meaningful ways to come together to work on these challenges, for ourselves and for our society.”