Dear Members of the Colorado State University community,

It is with deep sadness that I write to you today as all of us attempt to process the hate-fueled, racist, deadly shootings that took place over the weekend in Buffalo, Dallas, and Laguna Woods. These seemingly endless, violent assaults driven by racist vitriol cause immense, unbearable pain and fear unacceptable for a compassionate society that values all people, and where all people have a right to live and thrive.

On behalf of the CSU community, I offer my sincerest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and the immediately impacted communities. Our CSU Division of Student Affairs has been contacting students from impacted areas who may have been affected by this senseless violence.

It pains me that we continue to bear witness to this type of domestic terrorism. While we know that these most recent racist attacks particularly impact members of the African-American, Asian, and Asian-American communities, we are equally certain that we are a compassionate CSU community that fully feels the pain for anyone targeted by cruel rampages based on one’s identity. We stand with the innocent people – human beings who were merely doing everyday tasks like running errands, attending a church luncheon, and getting their hair done. Their lives and communities have been irrevocably impacted by these horrific events.

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we continue to live up to our own Principles of Community. We must embrace one another and vow to work tirelessly to ensure that we have a safe and respectful campus that values inclusiveness and encourages different voices to be heard. We have to be more determined and vigilant in condemning all forms of racism and acts of hate, and relentless in our commitment to  learn from, listen to, and respect the humanity of one another – a responsibility we all share as members of a university community. We can ill afford, as a campus, as a state, and as a nation, to let hatred, bigotry, and violence become our defining characteristics. That is not and never will be who we are at Colorado State University. Let’s strive together to model what it means to work, live, and learn as a true diverse, vibrant community.

So, today, as we mourn these profound losses, please take a personal moment of silence to remember those whom we have lost or who have been harmed, reflect upon everything and everyone for which we are grateful, and persist in hoping and working for justice and healing.

*CSU offers resources to those who may need support:

Resources for students – https://studentaffairs.colostate.edu/resource/students/student-support/

Resources for employees – https://safety.colostate.edu/support-and-counseling-services/

In hope,

Kauline

Kauline Cipriani, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence