Dear members of the Kenyon community,
The news out of Atlanta last night — tragic shootings that killed eight people — hit many of us hard. It not only serves as a reminder of the persistent tragedy of gun violence, but these acts, which took the lives of six Asian women, highlight the violent and hateful attacks of the past year against Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Authorities are working to confirm the motive behind these attacks, but there is no doubt that Asian and Pacific Islander communities are hurting.
Anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate crimes rose substantially in 2020, fueled by political rhetoric scapegoating Asian immigrants for the pandemic. A recent study by California State University’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism found that anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate crimes rose by 150 percent in major U.S. metropolitan areas in 2020, and the organization Stop AAPI Hate reported almost 3,800 incidents from March 2020 through February 2021.
This larger hateful environment impacts all of us in our community, but particularly the lives and experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty, staff and neighbors. At this moment more than ever, we must denounce racism and xenophobia in all forms. And in this time of especially harmful rhetoric and violence targeting Asians and Pacific Islanders, we support and grieve with these communities at Kenyon and beyond.
If you need support or would like to connect with someone, please reach out to one of the resources below. You can also find BIPOC mental health resources here.
- Center for Global Engagement
- Cox Health and Counseling Center
- Office for Civil Rights
- Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Sincerely,
Sean Decatur
President