Dear Cornish Community,

I am writing to address the senseless acts of racism, hatred, violence, and indifference that resulted in the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and so many other Black and brown people. We stand in support of the victims, their families, friends, and communities. We call for an end to racism, violence, inequity, and indifference. Black lives matter. Period. Racism can take on many forms: the threat to the life of Christian Cooper, the beating of peaceful protestors, and the lack of criminal justice reform. No matter the form, racism will not be tolerated in our community.

To our Black and brown faculty, staff, students, friends, and partners, we hear you. We see you. We share your pain. We know that you are hurting deeply. We are tired of being tired and should not have to bear this pain alone. We are Cornish! When one part of our community hurts, we all hurt. It is not an option for us to stand silently on the sidelines. Please know that the leadership team and I are committed to you and to helping address these issues directly in our educational programs, engagement, and hiring practices.

Equity is one of our core values. I work daily to help build a community at Cornish that is equitable and promotes social justice. In the coming weeks with the assistance of our Chief Equity Officer, Tiffany Davis, Cornish will launch a series of programs aimed at hearing the collective voices our community, and working together to find solutions that support equity and diversity at Cornish. As a community of artists, citizens, and innovators, we have a responsibility to drive change in this world. I ask that each of us reflect on the ways we, as individuals, can make a change.

I encourage us to look to organizations that promote social justice and do the work to correct these wrongs. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black Lives Matter, Center for Policing Equity, are all organizations that do good work in this area. We will work together to ensure that every person gets to live the life they deserve free of racial injustice and indignity.  If you are looking for more ways to engage, get involved, and/or support, throughout this week Cornish will post information and resources across our social media channels.

Sincerely,

Raymond Tymas-Jones, Ph.D., President