The president's cabinet at California State University, Bakersfield shared the following message with the campus community today, June 1, standing against racial injustice and violence:
“There comes a time when silence is betrayal. Our lives end the day we become silent about things that matter. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dear CSUB Community:
Like raised scars, the wounds of racial injustice run deep through the history of our nation. On May 25, those wounds broke open when Americans were shattered, again, by the horrific sight of an African-American man pleading for his life. On that tragic day in Minnesota, George Floyd’s cries were ignored by police officers, ultimately leading to this death.
Over the weekend we witnessed communities across the nation protesting the racial injustices and violence against our African-American community. It has challenged all Americans to look deep within and reaffirm our commitment to equality and justice. There is work to be done, even here in our community, and it is the hard work of change and reconciliation.
Please do not give in to despair.
Raise your voice with clarity and purpose.
Spread light, not darkness.
And commit yourself to education, which breaks the chains of racism and injustice.
CSU Bakersfield is a beacon of equity, diversity, inclusion and respect. All who seek hope are welcome here. All who yearn to unlock their potential are welcome here. All who wish to share ideas and perspectives are welcome here.
And to all who seek social justice: You are welcome here. You are wanted here. You are needed here.
It is on the campuses of the universities in this nation where idealism flourishes, where social problems are addressed, where the seeds of change are planted. Every movement that has resulted in greater equality for Americans has its roots on a college campus: Civil rights, free speech, women’s rights, acceptance for the LGBTQ community.
Universities are a place of hope, where we teach ethics and have tough, open conversations in a safe space about prejudice, stereotypes, racism and social injustice. Universities play a critical role in the capacity to empathize with others who are different from us.
To our students, please know there is support for you through Student Counseling Services. To our employees, please know there is support for you through the Employee Assistance Program.
Our voices, and our safety, have never mattered more.
As we mourn Mr. Floyd and the slow pace of change in our nation, it is easy to grow discouraged.
Even before the founding of the United States, when the first African slaves were brought to this continent 400 years ago, we have struggled with this stain on our conscience. The emancipation of slaves after the Civil War gave way to the Jim Crow South. The Civil Rights Movement, for all its progress, has not gone far enough for too many Americans, in the criminal justice system, education, housing, healthcare and more.
That the struggle has been so long and that we still have so far to go weighs heavy on the hearts of African-Americans and their friends, allies, neighbors and supporters.
But here in the San Joaquin Valley, we are heirs to a great tradition of leading the change we seek. We stand up, speak up and lift up.
As we contemplate the darkness our nation is confronting, don’t forget to look to the light. “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” is a song most famously recorded by Nina Simone, which became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. It expresses the wish for a day when freedom is within the grasp of all who reach for it.
And though that day is not here for some Americans, the beauty of the song is in the message to keep reaching.
“I wish I knew how
It would feel to be free
I wish I could break
All the chains holding me
I wish I could say
All the things that I should say
Say 'em loud, say 'em clear
For the whole round world to hear"
Lynnette Zelezny, Ph.D., M.B.A., President
Vernon Harper, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Thom Davis, Vice President for Business and Administrative Services
Thomas Wallace, Vice President for Student Affairs
Victor Martin, Vice President for University Advancement
Michael Lukens, Chief of Staff to the President
Claudia Catota, Chief Diversity Officer and Special Assistant to the President
Andrew Maiorano, University Counsel
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