Dear Campus Community:
With the recent tragic deaths of George Floyd, and more recently Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, I have heard and listened to your thoughts on how we can work together to end racial injustices.
Woodbury University administration, staff and faculty have been taking steps forward to raise awareness of inequality, and more importantly, working toward eradicating it.
As many of you know, tomorrow is Juneteenth (June 19), which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. in 1865. On this day the last enslaved people learned they were free at the end of the Civil War and when the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas. We are hereby declaring Juneteenth a holiday, effective tomorrow, and into the future.
In memory of this celebratory milestone, may I suggest we continue to listen, learn, engage, and reflect on ways we can make lasting change toward a more peaceful and just world.
Our commitment to inclusion and diversity is paramount and we are actively developing initiatives toward creating a campus culture of respect and equity for all.
I look forward to continuing this important conversation.
Sincerely,
David
David Steele-Figueredo, Ph.D.
President
Woodbury University
Updated on June 18, 2020