Dear IWL Community,
What we have witnessed in the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery is the failure of a democratic and human contract to ensure the equality of all people. We are outraged and saddened by the crimes of hate committed against our Black and African American communities in the last two weeks and throughout the history of this country. We stand in solidarity with protestors and all who fight for justice.
As educators, as women dedicated to social justice, we support all our alumni, students, faculty, and staff who are on the streets, carrying the banner of this struggle. We stand by all who have been the target of this injustice for far too many years.
We are not just here for you as we always are, but we are committed to changing the story. We are working to educate the next generation of leaders, to champion the election of women—especially Black women and women of color—to local and national offices, and to define leadership not as might, but as communal action towards social justice.
The young leaders I have met through our IWL leadership programs give me hope for a just future. We will work to protect your right to speak out, to advocate for the end of police violence in our communities, and to provide platforms for the voices of underrepresented women to be heard.
We will do everything in our power to support you and your work for a more just world.
In solidarity,
Rebecca Mark
Director, Institute for Women’s Leadership
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
