In an email sent to the campus community Friday, Holy Cross President Fr. David Tyson offered his prayers to those impacted by current racial injustices and implored the community to “be better.”
Tyson said the death of George Floyd was not an isolated incident and was instead rooted in racism.
The College lowered the three flags on campus to half-mast in memory of Floyd, and they will remain this way until July 4.
“They serve as daily reminders to us of the essential foundation of the values of freedom, faith and community of our educational endeavor,” Tyson said.
Tyson encouraged community members should lean upon the tenants of the College and Catholic social teaching in order to change for the better.
“In all of this, then, we are equipped to form and become scholars, citizens, leaders and disciples that are laser-focused with a sense of urgency to help re-establish a sense of common good and common purpose in our society by leading the way in our communities,” he said.
Tyson invited community members to partake in an exercise to better understand what it means to be racist.
“Take a piece of paper and write the word racist at the top,” he said. “Take 10 minutes and write down every word that triggers or defines racist. Then close your eyes, open your heart and slowly read each word aloud. Then ask yourself which of these words remind you of you, regardless of your skin color. You might be surprised. Racism is a disease of the heart, not of the mouth. Its cure must be rooted in the heart first.”
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