This week, our state and country are reeling from another police shooting of a Black man, Daunte Wright, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. My heart goes out to his loved ones, and I join them in mourning the loss of this young man who should have had so much life ahead of him.
I would like to especially acknowledge the impact this violence has had on our Black students, faculty, and staff; Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) members of the community who are still processing last month’s shootings in Atlanta; and Indigenous and people of color who feel unsafe and unseen due to systemic racial issues in society. The shooting also comes at a time of pain and reckoning as Derek Chauvin’s trial for the death of George Floyd continues in Minneapolis, just 10 miles from Brooklyn Center.
As our community joins those who grieve the loss of Daunte Wright and seek healing at this time of turmoil, the Office of the Chaplains will be holding space in Christ Chapel from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today for anyone who wishes to light a candle and spend time in silence, prayer, or meditation. Members of the Gustavus community are also welcome to stop by the Center for Inclusive Excellence on the lower floor of the Johnson Student Union for conversation. If you would like to participate in a broader show of solidarity and make your voice heard in our region, a rally for racial justice and inclusion is being held in Mankato on Sunday, April 18, at 2 p.m. Also, please remember that the Gustavus Counseling Center has curated a list of helpful resources.
Gusties, I know that nothing has been easy this year. Let us lean on each other through these times of hardship, turn to our colleagues and friends for support and understanding, and continue to build a world where justice, equity, and inclusion are infused in our individual and collective thoughts and actions.
Yours in community,
President Bergman