Standing in solidarity in the face of racist violence

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you in in the aftermath of horrific instances of hate-motivated violence. Recently, a hate-fueled shooting at a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, NY, killed ten and injured more. The very next day, a mass shooting occurred at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, Calif., just days after another mass shooting targeting Asian Americans in Dallas, Tex. And anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S. are at an all-time high, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

We are seeing the continuation of a decade-long rise in white-supremacist violence. The weight of our violence toward one another can feel like too much to bear. As President Cauce recently wrote, “White nationalism and white supremacy are driving up incidents of domestic terrorism nationwide, and what used to be considered the racist lunatic fringe has entered the mainstream, with violence as the extreme, yet inevitable, result. We are a fractured nation, far from realizing our own ideals.”

The effects of this violence are felt deeply in our own community here at UW Tacoma and bear on us all in unique ways. I know you join me in desiring to send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and expressing our solidarity with our Black and Asian community members in this time of grief. We also must remember our Jewish, Latinx, and Muslim communities who have been targeted by similar violence in recent years.

In a moment like this let us recommit ourselves to the work of living up to our own ideals of justice, equity, diversity, antiracism, and inclusion here at UW Tacoma.

There are several resources available to you at this time. These include Psychological & Wellness Services, the Center for Equity & Inclusion, and UW CareLink. I encourage you to utilize these resources as appropriate and to care for and stand in solidarity with each of us whose communities have been targeted in recent years.

May we all know peace in this time.