Minneapolis, Our Nation, and Our Community

The following statement was sent to GSPP's Students, Staff, and Faculty on Friday, May 29th: 

Dear GSPP Students, Staff, and Faculty:

I started this email to express my outrage at the events of the past ten days and my disgust about the disastrous leadership in America.  Yet words fail me and seem like a weak and wan reaction to what has happened.  I sit here quivering with disgust and dread.  I know that everyone in our community must be in anguish over what is happening.  I write to honor our collective grief over where we are and to cherish the support that our community brings. 

We are in the midst of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected those who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, and poor.  We know that this results from a history of marginalization and racism. As we were grappling with the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, we were faced with the video of the hideous killing of George Floyd by a police officer. 

Yet we have a President who tweets about George Floyd (last night at 9:53 pm EDT) – not to say that we should end racism and police violence – but to imply that violence should be directed against protesters.  Twitter has put a warning label on this tweet by saying that Donald Trump has violated its rule against glorifying violence. 

President Trump’s tweet is part of a long history of dismissing Black rage instead of listening to it and rectifying the wrongs that it represents.  Protest is one of the few options for those who lack power and privilege.   I remember the Watts Rebellion of 1965, and I remember the efforts to dismiss its message by labeling it the "Watts Riots."  Fifty-five years later we still have not gotten the message.  As a nation, we must listen better and work harder to remove the stain of our original sin of slavery and racism.    Black lives matter, and we should not be led astray by a false narrative. 

My heart goes out to everyone, especially our Black students and students of color, as we try to navigate through this difficult time.  As a leader I am deeply sorry at this failure of leadership at the very top and for the long history of failure that it represents.  I hope that we can do better in the future, and I know and understand deeply that every member of our GSPP community hopes for a better future and is actively working to create one.  At GSPP, we are working to eradicate racism and to build an anti-racist community that is inclusive and caring.  Let us use this moment to reaffirm our commitment to the values of inclusivity, decency, and the dignity of all people.  We must all do better, America must do better. 

Very best regards, Henry E. Brady