This past weekend, we were all affected by the tragic events that unfolded in Charlottesville, Virginia and at the University ofVirginia. I, like many of you, was shocked and saddened by this demonstration of hatred. As a community, we pray for all those who lost their lives or were injured and for all who were affected by this senseless tragedy.
Guided by our core Mercy values-notably, the Sacredness ofCreation- we embrace the unique qualities of every human being and demonstrate respect for all humankind. We denounce the racism and actions of white supremacist hate groups that fueled it. We stand with our sponsor, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, in their statement: “Tragedies like this one continue to spotlight our society’s institutionalized structural racism. While this latest incident has caught the attention of our nation, we know that every day people of color in this country feel threatened by its impact. Our ongoing failure to see ourselves and all of creation as one perpetuates our separation; our sense of ‘we’ and ‘they’ only serves to diminish all of us.”
We are a University that values diversity, inclusion, equity, and respect for all individuals. Together, we must take action to fight the hatred that was displayed in Charlottesville whenever and wherever we encounter it. We must actively counter hatred with acts of goodness-and denounce racism directly. We must build alliances with friends, our co-workers and our community, creating a diverse coalition to combat intolerance and bigotry. We must support those who are victims and lobby our leaders to take a stand against hatred.
We invite members of the Carlow University community to join us for a PRAYER SERVICE OF HEALING AND UNITY onWednesday, August 16, at 2 p.m. in the McAuley Chapel, on the fifth floor of the University Commons.
More opportunities for group dialogue will begin within the next weeks. As students arrive on campus this week, let’s all reach out to welcome all those who will be members of our community. We must continue to act and speak out.
Suzanne K. Mellon, PhD
President
Carlow University
3333 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
officeofthepresident@carlow.edu