The Classics department wishes to echo and affirm the joint statement issued by UC Board of Regents Chair John A Perez and President Janet Napolitano, which recognizes that ‘[t]he tragic deaths of George Floyd, countless other African Americans and people of color, as well as the justified anger and fury in the ensuing protests, speak to the institutionalized racism that has plagued this country in the same way it has perpetually defined the everyday realities of individuals who face intolerance, marginalization and bigotry’. (The rest of that statement can be read here: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-statement-protests-violence-following-george-floyd-s-death).
The department is committed to fighting such racism, to raising students’ and colleagues’ consciousness about racism, and to promoting a more equitable and inclusive society.