Dear Alumni Community,

It is with a heavy, tired, fed up heart, that I express my sadness for the loss of George Floyd, on the heels of Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others. Their family, friends, and fellow human beings are grieving and filled with despair. We cannot ignore that.

SUNY Adirondack is home to so many different students and particularly our black men who disproportionately suffer in this country. As a mother of two sons, I may worry about them as mothers do, but I don’t have to add the color of their skin to the list. I can only imagine, and lend my deepest support for the pain and suffering of our fellow students, alumni and employees as we once again witness unspeakable force against a fellow human being.

We need to do better.

Although the civil unrest persists in ways that endanger more lives, we know there are many peacefully protesting to address this systemic injustice that must be more fully addressed. COVID-19 has rightly distracted us, but it will not deter our focus on creating a more inclusive and equitable community for our diverse populations.

The SUNY Adirondack Diversity Committee will continue its work when we resume in the fall, including programming around systemic injustices. We will continue to find ways to ensure the status of race relations in this country is not lost on us. The work is far from done, and we will do our part to speak it, feel it, address it, and learn. That’s what education is for.

In the meantime, I ask that you do what you can to make others feel safe and heard. Grief for all reasons needs empathy, not sympathy.

Sincerely,

Kristine Duffy, Ed.D. President SUNY Adirondack