Dear Poet Community:
It is with great sadness that I find myself, once again, writing to you to express my dismay and outrage at an act of senseless violence. Once again, we are left heartbroken. My thoughts are with the families of the eight victims who lost their lives in the Atlanta area on Tuesday evening.
While we do not know the motivations of the individual alleged in this incident, we do know that attacks against Asian Americans have increased substantially in the past year. This is not acceptable and must be condemned. The violence must stop.
As an institution founded by Quakers, we at Whittier College celebrate the value of every individual, no matter what they look like, how they identify, where they come from, who they worship, or who they love. Everyone has a unique story that defines their own personal truth. We must be willing to listen to each other and learn from one another. We may disagree sometimes, but we must learn to respect everyone’s story.
I am so proud of how our entire Poet community has come together over the past year. You have been strong and resilient, but most importantly, you have supported and uplifted each other. As we near what is hopefully an end to this challenging time, let’s continue to stay focused, and support one another.
Stay safe and stay healthy,
Linda S. Oubré, Ed.D. M.B.A.
