A Message from the President

Late this afternoon, a jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota announced guilty verdicts against former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. First and foremost, I want to express my sincere sympathy to the family of George Floyd. No jury verdict can change the fact that Mr. Floyd’s brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren and friends have endured great pain as the result of his suffering and death.

I also want to acknowledge the pain, anger, and fear that members of the St. John’s and broader communities may be feeling at this difficult time. The searing and unforgettable image of the last moments of George Floyd’s life and the powerful testimony that we observed during the trial reminds us that the evils of racism have no place in our country. Racism, racial injustice, and racial disparity continue to harm communities of color.

St. John’s University is committed to providing a Catholic education for students in a diverse and inclusive environment. A central tenet of our faith and therefore our mission is the belief that every single human being is created in the image and likeness of God and so has intrinsic God-given worth that must be respected. As President of St. John’s, I pledge to do all that I can to create and sustain an antiracist, equitable, and inclusive learning and working environment for all of St. John’s students, faculty, administrators, and staff because this is central to our mission.

I also want to recirculate the resources shared by Keaton Wong in her April 14, 2021 communication. It is my sincere hope that, as a campus community, we can educate ourselves, adopt antiracism practices, and show up for one another in a true spirit of compassion and care. I encourage you to utilize the resources provided. Information will be shared shortly about healing circles that RESPECT (our bias response team) will offer to the St. John’s campus community.

This afternoon’s verdict may bring some consolation that justice has been served with respect to this trial, but it will not produce closure because so much work remains to be done to heal the wounds of racism in America. We have our role to play as a Catholic and Vincentian University in helping America realize the ideal of human equality that we believe is not only self-evident but also revealed by God. We have much to do to really serve justice. But this night the one work we can all share in common is to ask for God’s healing blessing on the Floyd family, all those who mourn, our country, and our St. John’s community.