Lehigh News

The Lehigh Community Speaks Out on Racial Injustice 

Voices from around the university react to the murder of George Floyd.

Story by

Editorial Services

Posted on
June 12, 2020
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Lehigh University has recognized that it must do more to help end institutional racism, and is committed to becoming an antiracist institution.

In the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, groups and individuals from around the campus community--students, leadership and faculty--have shared their thoughts and perspectives on the state of our nation, and our university, through a variety of channels.

Collected here are a number of communications, statements, open letters and dialogues. This page will be updated as important conversations about racial justice and societal change continue here at Lehigh.

Statements from University Leadership

A Message from Lehigh's Board of Trustees and Leadership to Members of the Lehigh Black Student Union (June 12, 2020)

A Message from Kevin Clayton and John Simon (June 3, 2020) 

Confronting Racism (May 31, 2020)

Open Dialogues

Black Lives Matter Town Hall (June 4, 2020)

 

Voices from Our Community 

An Open Letter from Lehigh BALANCE (via Instagram)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dear BALANCE Members: Rather than put out an immediate statement about everything that has been going on, BALANCE has taken these last few days to listen to the concerns and goals of a number of BIPOC Lehigh students, alumni and faculty. Although it is impossible to capture everyone's exact sentiments, and BALANCE cannot speak on behalf of each individual and their unique viewpoint, there were some themes that surfaced. The attached letter tries to capture some of those goals/demands and stresses that any decisions taken by Lehigh University in trying to become an "anti-racist" institution must include the voices of BIPOC community members who are affected by their policies. This letter is addressed to all of you, but a similar one with the exact same goals/demands is going out to the Lehigh Board of Trustees and Administration. For the full letter please visit the Facebook or LinkedIn page.

A post shared by Lehigh BALANCE Alumni (@lehighbalance) on

 

An Open Letter from the Lehigh Black Student Union (via Instagram)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The clock is ticking and we are watching! @lehighpressimon @drrdhall @armymathdoc @lehighpolice @lehighu

A post shared by Celebrating 53 Years! (@lehighbsu) on

 

A Statement from the Lehigh Student Senate (via Instagram)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Link to join the zoom call on Thursday, June 4th at 4:30 pm is in the bio. Dear Students, We in Lehigh’s Student Senate wanted to reach out to our community regarding the killing of George Floyd and the racial justice protests occurring throughout the country. As an organization composed of a diverse range of students, and one tasked with representing Lehigh students, we want to be clear: Black Lives Matter. To the Black students in our community, we just wanted to say--we see you, we acknowledge the deep and unique pain you are experiencing right now from both this injustice and the countless others before it, and we are here for you. Student Senate is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusivity on our campus, and we’re taking a stand against the injustices that are threatening our community. We know Lehigh has been the site of countless racial bias incidents in recent memory, and we call upon the Lehigh Administration for drastic change. We, like many of you, were disappointed by the lack of action in Lehigh’s late response to this situation, and we hope to work with the administration to do more, because more must be done. We are committed to holding Lehigh to the standards set by its own stated values and to bring an end to the discrimination on campus--both overt and subtle. In this effort, we will be hosting a Black Lives Matter Town Hall this Thursday at 4:30 pm. We’re holding an open forum for students to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe and supportive environment, so we can take your words and ideas directly to the administration and call for change. We hope you join us then and invite others. In solidarity, Student Senate

A post shared by Lehigh U Student Senate (@lehighsenate) on

 

A Statement from the Graduate Student Senate (via Twitter)

 

A Statement from Lehigh Students For BLM (via Instagram)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join us in our fight for equality and justice in the Lehigh community and beyond. #blacklivesmatter

A post shared by Lehigh Students For BLM (@lehighstudentsforblm) on

An Open Letter to Lehigh President John Simon and Board of Trustees Chairman Kevin Clayton

Statements from Around the University

A Letter from the Lehigh University Alumni Association (LUAA) Board of Directors

Global Lehigh Response to Systemic Racism (June 4, 2020)

LTS Statement and Anti-Racism Resources 

A Message From William Gaudelli, Dean of the College of Education

A Message From Georgette Chapman Phillips, Dean of the College  of Business

A Message From the Council For Equity and Community

A Letter from Robert Flowers, Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Dean, College of Arts and Sciences (via Twitter)

 

Statement from Lehigh Police Chief Jason Schiffer (via Twitter)

 

Statement from the Latin American and Latino Studies Program at Lehigh University (via Twitter)

Story by

Editorial Services

Posted on
June 12, 2020
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