President Herzberger Joins Campus Leaders With Open Letter to Donald Trump

November 21, 2016

Whittier College President Sharon HerzbergerWhittier College President Sharon Herzberger, along with more than 100 presidents of colleges and universities across the nation, just signed onto an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging him to "condemn and work to prevent the harassment, hate, and acts of violence that are being perpetrated across our nation."

See the full letter below.

Dear President-elect Trump,

As do you, we “seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict.” In order to maintain the trust required for such productive engagement, it is essential that we immediately reaffirm the core values of our democratic nation: human decency, equal rights, freedom of expression, and freedom from discrimination. As college and university presidents, we commit ourselves to promoting these values on our campuses and in our communities, and we stand alongside the business, nonprofit, religious, and civic leaders who are doing the same in organizations large and small.

In light of your pledge to be “President for all Americans,” we urge you to condemn and work to prevent the harassment, hate, and acts of violence that are being perpetrated across our nation, sometimes in your name which is now synonymous with our nation’s highest office. In our schools, on job sites and college campuses, on public streets and in coffee shops, members of our communities, our children, our families, our neighbors, our students, and our employees are facing very real threats, and are frightened.

One of the roles of leaders is to protect and empower the most vulnerable. As President-elect, this responsibility rests heavily on you. Let this be a mark of your leadership.

To read a full list of the signatories, click here.