We, like so many others, are deeply saddened by the picture of the racist slur that was reported seen on our sidewalk last night. This is not who we are and cannot be tolerated.
We are a Catholic university committed to two fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching: the Dignity of the Human Person and Solidarity.
We must respect the dignity of ALL human persons. Each of us is a creation of God, and our human dignity follows from our very existence. Human dignity is not dependent on race, creed, color, gender, religion or any other dimensions by which humans might distinguish themselves, and it is not bestowed by anyone other than God, our creator. Every human life is sacred.
Our solidarity mandates that we are all part of one human family and we have mutual obligations to promote the rights and development of all peoples. We are called to be empathetic, and we cannot remain untouched by the suffering or injustice against any brother or sister anywhere on our planet, and certainly not within our own community.
We are actively investigating this incident and will take firm action based on our findings. In addition, several offices on campus and student groups are in the process of organizing forums for discussion and support and will provide announcements of these opportunities.
Please reach out to others in our community, particularly our community members of color. We must unite to ensure every person on our campus feels safe and respected.
Thank you in advance for helping us rise up and be the University of St. Thomas we aspire to be.
