Dear Members of the Cornell Community:
As some of you are aware, during spring break there were two incidents of graffiti containing racial epithets appearing on campus, one on the door of a Russell Hall suite and the other on the exterior of Bowman-Carter Hall. We abhor these expressions of intolerance on our campus.
As a liberal arts college, the free and open exchange of dialogue and expression of differing perspectives is at the heart of Cornell’s educational mission. The anonymous posting of hate-filled words is not an expression of engaged discourse – it is an attempt to intimidate and deny the place within the community of those targeted individuals and groups. Such action is antithetical to Cornell’s values and is repudiated by all who share our vision, as stated in the Cornell College mission statement, of a community “committed to liberal learning and democratic values” and “respect for the dignity and worth of each individual.”
In neither recent case of racist vandalism is there any information that would allow us to identify those responsible. However, that does not mean we, as a community, are without ability to respond. We invite you to join us this Thursday from 11:30 -12:30 in the Thomas Commons Beijing Room for an open conversation about these incidents, their impacts, and how we move forward as a community. We also encourage you to speak individually with either of us, as well as with other members of the staff and faculty, about your concerns, ideas and hopes.
Finally, please take advantage of two upcoming opportunities to share your commitment to working together to make Cornell the inclusive community we wish it to be. This Thursday evening at 6:00 the Rally Against Sexual Assault, organized by TWRG, will be gathering at the Information Desk and proceeding to Harlan House. Next Wednesday, April 18, we will gather on the OC at 11:30 for a March on Mt. Vernon, organized by BACO. We recognize that acts of discrimination and intolerance based on race are intrinsically connected to similar acts of hatred and violence toward other groups. Both of these events offer an opportunity to demonstrate that we will not allow our campus community—our home—to be taken from us.