UPDATED 10:52 AM ET, Mon June 1, 2020: Altered the second and fifth paragraph to include the release of Capital’s public statement on June 1.
Protests and violence have erupted across the country, and President Beth Paul has spoken out about it.
On May 31, Paul issued an email through Denise Russell, Director of Publications and Marketing at Capital . Only staff and students were able to see the contents of the email at first. Fortunately, Capital released the email as a formal statement at this link, making it far more accessible to the public than it originally was.
Basically, Paul addressed the injustices and racial violence that has taken place not just specifically in Columbus, but across the entire nation the past few days.
Black Capital students and alumni alike have been both curious and frustrated with Capital’s silence up until this point. About 13 hours before the original email was released, a Capital alum named Tyreese Bowman released a tweet that restated the sentiments of some students and alumni.
For the sake of maintaining a clear timeline of events, this tweet was released at 9:15 p.m. on May 30. The email from Paul was released at 11:48 a.m. on May 31, and the official statement for the public was posted at 8:07 a.m. on June 1.
Paul states that, “Injustices such as what we saw last week in Minneapolis are rampant. They keep on coming – day after day, year after year, decade after decade – weakening our collective humanity. Racist rhetoric and behavior have eroded safety for far too many people. And now hope is eroding, too.”
Towards the end of the statement, Paul explained Capital’s stance on the situation.
“Capital is a community dedicated to supporting one another in pursuit of justice. We stand together with all who are targets of racist ideologies and actions,” Paul said.
For those that don’t understand what’s been happening as of late, America has been both figuratively and literally set ablaze in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, MN. Many consider it yet another example in a long line of justice system failures.
Pain has been felt on all sides of the equation. From protestors fighting for justice and human decency, to police officers trying to maintain order, and even business owners who are trying to protect their livelihoods from destruction.
CNN specifically has accumulated a long list of articles that have documented the whirlwind so far. A link to all those articles can be found here.
The best way to bring this article to a close is to end with what Paul said at the end of her statement, “Now more than ever, reach out to one another. Care for one another. Actively advocate for humanity for all.”
If you have any experiences to share in regard to the Columbus riots, feel free to reach out to me at rcumberlander@capital.edu. The Chimes will try its best to record these turbulent times. Stay safe. Stay informed.
