This weekend I watched what was happening around the world.

One week ago today, George Floyd was murdered in Minnesota. The brutality and injustice of his death, and the racist underpinning of American society, unleashed a wave of protest in America and around the world.

Name it and shame it

As America grapples with deeply entrenched systemic racism and the generational trauma associated with it, it would be easy to assume that we in Canada are spared this reckoning. We are not.

The protests this weekend elsewhere in Canada shined a light on racism against Black and Indigenous people and intolerance in our country. We need to name it and shame it.

Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. To members of these groups, I want you to know that you are a valued member of the Memorial community. We mourn with you; we stand with you and we are here to support you. I am steadfast in my commitment to providing a safe and respectful environment for all members of our community. There is no place for racism or intolerance at Memorial University.

Resources available

This has been, and is, a challenging time for many and I strongly encourage anyone in need of support to reach out.

The 24-hour mental health crisis line can be reached provincewide at 1-888-737-4668 or you can text ‘talk’ to 686868.

The Student Wellness and Counselling Centre website offers a number of online and phone-based community mental health and wellness supports.

For employees, there are resources available through the Employee Assistance Program.

Valued and equal

Memorial is fortunate to be one of the most diverse institutions in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This diversity is one of our greatest strengths.

Learning together, and learning from one another, is how we can build the world in which we want to live, where all are supported, valued and equal.