UA Condemns Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
Our hearts are broken as we consider the horrific shootings in Atlanta this week resulting in the deaths of eight people, six of whom were Asian women. While there is ongoing discussion and debate about the motivations for these heinous acts against humanity, what is not debatable is the dramatic increase in the number of racially motivated bias incidents and hate crimes targeting Asian and Asian-American and Pacific Islander, or AAPI for short, people in our country since the onset of the pandemic.
At this tragic moment in our nation’s history, we are reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words as he wrote from the Birmingham jail, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
As a campus community we denounce these acts of violence, and we acknowledge the pain associated with being targeted because of your appearance.
We have a commitment to justice for all and establishing and sustaining a culture of inclusivity is a core value of our institution. As such, we stand today in solidarity as allies with our AAPI community members. As we support them, we also stand in opposition to all hate crimes, bias acts against the AAPI community at large and the ideology that fuels them.
During these traumatic times we want to provide a series of resources to assist members of our community as we attempt to work through the impact of these senseless acts. Please refer to the AAPI Community and Ally Resources page on our DEI website as guidance for our community.
Sincerely,
Dr. G. Christine Taylor
Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Dr. Teresa Wise
Associate Provost for International Education and Global Outreach