Charlottesville Solidarity Statement

Dear Fellow Wolverines,

The events in Charlottesville, VA and on the University of Virginia’s campus this past weekend were nothing short of acts of domestic terror. Despite any rhetoric indicating that there are many sides to this issue, we firmly believe that the only side to stand on is that of justice. We, the Students of Color of Rackham (SCOR), Rackham Student Government (RSG) and Graduate Rackham International (GRIN) extend support and solidarity to the people of color, religious, allied, and LGBTQ communities affected by the white supremacist riots in Charlottesville, VA.

Hundreds of white supremacists gathered at the University of Virginia to protest the removal of the General Robert E. Lee statue and for a Unite the Right rally. The white supremacist, Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups who participated in these rallies are hate groups who demonstrate perpetual acts of racism, anti-semitism, and violence. These acts were a manifestation of the continuing problem of white supremacy, and unfortunately parades of hate, like in Charlottesville, are not uncommon to American history.

It is no surprise that acts of hate can lead to death and lives were taken as a result of the violent rallies in Charlottesville. These brave souls put their lives at risk in the fight for equality and justice. We offer our deepest condolences to the families that lost loved ones and our steadfast commitment to make sure that their deaths will not be forgotten. Rest in power.

As students at the University of Michigan, we feel that it is necessary to not only come together and rally against the pernicious and acute hateful acts of white supremacists, but that it is also important to band together in beloved community. Coming together, despite acts that try to divide, shows that we will not be shaken. One of the ways that we win, is that we come together in community to challenge attacks meant to divide. As we stated earlier, events like in Charlottesville are not uncommon in the annals of American history, but we strive to eradicate them daily. We need to engage one another courageously in some hard conversations and build a community that can move in opposition to further acts of intolerance.

As we return to campus in a few days, we cannot forget that we are in this together.

In Solidarity,

Rosalyn Kent                             Naomi Wilson                     Janis Lai

President of SCOR               President of RSG              Co-President of GRIN

Gordon Palmer                        Colleen Crouch                     Mina Jafari

Vice President of SCOR      Vice President of RSG      Co-President of GRIN