Dear College Community,

I am writing today with sorrow and anger, as our nation mourns yet another senseless death in the tragedy of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. The oppression and pain of systemic racism, unrelieved by the imperceptible progress towards equal justice and social equity, has boiled over in many communities across the nation. Marches and demonstrations of solidarity are happening in cities and towns, including our community of Greater Boston. The oppression and heartache are only compounded by the miseries of the COVID-19 outbreak, which disproportionately affects people of color, and magnifies the inequities in the communities served by the College.

On Thursday, June 4, 2020, the 15 Massachusetts community college presidents issued a joint statement condemning systematic racism and expressed grief and anger over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, and the far too many other Black Americans killed by racial violence. Together, the presidents echoed the call-to-action demanding changes to public policy that promote equity and justice in policing, housing, healthcare, education, and more.