Statement on the violence in Charlottesville
A letter reaffirming Mount Holyoke's commitment to diversity and inclusion following the violence in Charlottesville, VA.
August 15, 2017
Dear members of the Mount Holyoke College community,
The weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, centered on and around the campus of the University of Virginia, was evidence of white supremacy and its unspeakable bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism. It was an affront to civil rights and individual freedoms and a clear assault on the values and ideals that universities and colleges represent.
At Mount Holyoke College, we stand with the UVA community, the people of Charlottesville and leaders across the nation and the world in mourning the loss of life, in expressing compassion and support for those injured and in condemning all such acts of hatred and violence.
As we prepare to welcome one of the most diverse classes in Mount Holyoke’s history, we reaffirm our commitment to the distinctive diversity of our campus, to equity and inclusion, to mutual respect in the exchange of ideas and to a living-learning environment that rejects all forms of prejudice and discrimination.
Sincerely,
Sonya Stephens
Acting President