LASALLIANS RESPOND TO RACISM BY ELIZABETH MOORS JODICE
“I CAN’T BREATHE.” The last words of George Floyd reverberated throughout the world after his killing on May 25, 2020. The outrage and sadness that followed continues to be expressed in impassioned calls for justice and for change. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked renewed attention on systemic racism and racial injustice. His death amplified the names and circumstances surrounding the deaths of other Black men and women, including the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, in addition to Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice. The most recent tragedies have led to protests, demonstrations, discussions, personal reflection and voices from all walks of life saying, “Enough is enough.”
Ministries in the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) are responding to the call for racial justice, including initiating critical conversations about systemic racism, racial injustice and inherent biases not only in the larger society but also within our own walls. As part of this response, many ministries are taking a hard look at their own policies and curricula, while some BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students and alumni are sharing their own unique experiences and needed perspectives in those
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