Remembering George Floyd

Dear Bentley Community,

History is defined by notable “before and after” moments that fundamentally change the way we view the world. George Floyd’s murder, one year ago today, is most certainly one of those moments. His death sparked a long overdue national reckoning with structural racism, injustice, intolerance and violence. It renewed our focus on racial justice in America and reminded us that unfortunately we still need to affirm that Black lives matter. These calls to action reverberated not just in the streets of major cities but also in the virtual and physical spaces of our campus community.

Over the past year, so many of you have worked to raise awareness of how racism manifests in our community and collaborated with us to take meaningful action to change our campus for the better. Student and alumni activists and the work of the Racial Justice Task Force have illuminated many ways in which Bentley can and must do more to achieve our mission of creating a welcoming, affirming, equitable institution of higher education. Every individual and collective step we take towards justice shapes our history for the better.

Today we encourage everyone to find a few minutes to reflect on your own or with a group on what this moment means to you and how you will continue the change that has already begun. Revisiting the trauma and loss experienced last year will be difficult for many, so we also remind you to seek support and make space for healing. The fight for racial justice and equity is not an easy one. It requires painful self-reflection, brave engagement and empathy for one another. But together, as one community, with our values as our guide, we will rise to meet this moment in history and emerge stronger than ever before.

The road ahead is long, but we are committed to the cultural and systemic change that will sustain us along this journey in the years to come. We look forward to working in partnership with every member of this community.

Sincerely,

The Bentley University Cabinet

Paul Condrin
Donna Maria Blancero
George Cangiano
Carolina Figueroa
Maureen Flores
Maureen Forrester
Chris Joyce
Amanda King
Katie Lampley
Judy Malone
Andrew Shepardson
Sue Walsh