WAGNER STANDS IN SOLIDARITY

On May 25, the world saw the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of police. With this horrific event have come myriad reactions within our families, our classrooms, our city, our country, and around the world. As protest continues, so does the pattern of police violence against black and brown Americans.

 

THE WAGNER COMMUNITY STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH:

 

THE FAMILIES OF JACOB BLAKE, GEORGE FLOYD, BREONNA TAYLOR, AHMAUD ARBERY, & ALL VICTIMS of SENSELESS BRUTALITY & MURDER, while UTTERLY REJECT SYSTEMIC RACISM, WHITE SUPREMACY, XENOPHOBIA, & INSTITUTIONALIZED INJUSTICES. 

 

PEACEFUL PROTESTORS & ACTIVISTS in THEIR MARCH for REAL CHANGE in OUR SOCIETY.

 

 

AND THE WAGNER COMMUNITY is FULLY COMMITTED

 

TO ENGAGING IN RESTORATIVE DIALOGUE and WORKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO PERVASIVE & SYSTEMIC INJUSTICES IN OUR CITY, NATION & WORLD. 

 

With these commitments, Wagner will always have safe spaces for students to process, discuss, learn, and seek all kinds of support. Over the past months, there has been a great deal of fear, anger, sadness, and uncertainty for all members of the Wagner community and our hope is that these spaces will provide everyone with a chance to be together, in a collective effort to find ways to be a stronger part of the solution to this global injustice

As protests for racial justice continue to engulf our nation's communities, we urge you to be safe if you choose to exercise your right of assembly/protest and hope you will engage in these safe-space discussions, and work with us as a community to address these problems openly and safely.

The Wagner Community must acknowledge the grave nature of these injustices, their deep roots in societal ignorance and privilege that have allowed their sustenance in our society, and their connection to a too-long list of black and brown victims of police violence and acts of white supremacy. We must acknowledge their impact on our young people who deserve to grow up in a world free of violence and discrimination, and filled with the promise of opportunity for all. We encourage our community to identify their thoughts and beliefs, and should they wish, get involved by exercising the right to protest and assembly safely, and acknowledge that our times demand stronger, sweeping action by our elected leaders.  

Wagner families, we continue to see unprecedented times. As we work through the current stage of the global health crisis, and the continuous social/political unrest related to the murder of George Floyd, it is important that our community remains open to the discussion, engaged in the necessary learning, and committed to finding solutions to deep systemic problems of racial injustice.