Dear Woodbury Campus Community:
During these unprecedented times, I am concerned for your health, safety and security. We have three different crises simultaneously impacting our way of life: a highly infectious virus pandemic, an economic and unemployment debacle, and severe social tensions stemming from racial injustice. Given the civil unrest in Los Angeles, I sincerely hope that you and your families are safe.
As an immigrant to the USA and a student of history, I am saddened by our current environment. Our society is roiled by this combination of crises that we have not seen in living memory. Many of us hoped that the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 would have eliminated discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; and that the lessons from the Great Depression in the 1930’s and the Great Recession in 2008-2010 would have tempered the current economic pain. But our society clearly is in upheaval, with anger and frustration driving the current protests.
As a member of our close-knit Woodbury community, I sincerely hope that we are all taking the necessary safety precautions by observing the current curfews; and are continuing with wearing masks and practicing the social distancing guidelines that are essential to helping to defeat the virus.
I expect that we will transition to a calmer and peaceful environment in the next few days. In the meantime: please be aware; be informed; and be safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Steele-Figueredo
President