George Floyd Statement

As President Jahanian stated, a year ago, bystanders and our entire nation watched in horror as George Floyd’s life was taken from him. Both then and now, I continue to grieve, but remain hopeful that this watershed moment serves as a catalyst for change.

Today is a day of enlightenment, remembrance, and continued healing to honor his life and the many others who tragically lost their lives due to racism, xenophobia and injustice. As we continue to embark upon our continued journey of social justice, I encourage you to learn about how to dismantle racism, demonstrate acts of equity and be an active bystander who stands up for what is equitable.

In that spirit, please join me at 4 p.m. today for 9 minutes and 29 seconds of silence so we can pause as a community to stand up for something never to be forgotten. These minutes are yours to reflect, to be silent and to be introspective. If you cannot join us, I hope you are able to carve out time today to reflect on how you can possibly have a positive impact on equity, diversity and inclusion both here at CMU and beyond. 

My heart and thoughts remain with George Floyd’s loved ones and so many others who have lost family and friends to unnecessary violence and bigotry. Let’s continue to learn, work and stand together for what is right and just on our campus and within society at large.

— Dr. Wanda Heading Grant, Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer