Dear friend of GU Politics,
This Juneteenth, we join the Georgetown community in honoring the millions of people of African descent who were dehumanized and lost their lives during enslavement. Our programming for today is paused to encourage learning and dialogue about inequalities disproportionately impacting Black Americans. We commend Georgetown University leadership for making Juneteenth an official university holiday, and encourage you to read President DeGioia’s statement here.
This time in our nation’s history is an opportunity for us to honestly address the legacy of slavery and the effects it has had on Black Americans for more than 400 years. To fulfill the promise of our university—to be men and women for others—we must demand progress from ourselves, elected leaders, and members of our community not just today, but every day.
When we return next week, we will host the first in a new series of intimate, student-driven discussion groups with public servants who have lived experience advocating for racial justice and political change. These discussions will help foster a community of solidarity with students experiencing racism, and provide an opportunity to discuss how public policy can address systemic racism in our country.
We are especially grateful to those of you who are helping to shape our programming on race and politics. Below you will find a list of resources and next steps you can take to continue to engage in this ongoing effort. Thank you for being a part of our community, and we look forward to working together with you.
With gratitude,
Mo Elleithee
Resources For Students, Staff, and the Georgetown Community:
Register for the next Race & Politics discussion group with Spring 2017 GU Politics Fellow Marlon Marshall, happening June 25 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Visit the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service for their statement on Black Lives Matter and a list of resources for continuing education and growth on this topic.
Read Georgetown University’s articles and share resources from the new web page, “Georgetown Community Continues Quest for Racial Justice.”