USM Institutions Stand in Solidarity Against Structural Racism and Resulting Violence Against Minority Communities
June 1, 2020
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman and the USM presidents, including University of Baltimore President Kurt L. Schmoke, have issued a statement of solidarity in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the structural racism that is causing untold harm to minority communities across the nation. The statement reads, in part:
"This week, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, a brutal act that recalled other recent killings of black Americans. We acknowledge with one voice the structural racism that’s taking the lives of our fellow citizens, and we stand in solidarity as we speak out against racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, discrimination against our LGBTQ and immigrant communities, religious intolerance, and bigotry of any kind.
"We are justly saddened, angered, and frustrated by these acts of brutality and the lack of action when black men and women are killed. Mindful of public health guidelines, we also affirm the right of our communities to protest safely and peacefully to address their legitimate concerns.
"We believe that public colleges and universities are obligated to help end inequity and to promote social justice. We draw on the leadership and wisdom of our students, faculty, and staff, many of whom confront these issues every day through their teaching, research, and activism."
Read the USM statement.