Letter to the Editor

We, the Black Graduate and Professional Students Association (BGPSA), write this open letter with a heavy heart. We stand in solidarity with and offer our deepest condolences to the families and community of the victims of the senseless massacre that occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, on the evening of Wednesday, June 17th. We can only attempt to empathize with what these families and communities must be going through and send to them our offers of support and encouragement in what must be one of the most difficult times in their lives.

We want to take an opportunity to emphasize not only our grief and mourning over the tragedy, but our anger and outrage at the way this event has been characterized in the media and what it highlights about current racial and ethnic stratification in our country. This is not merely a “hate crime”, which in most states would enhance the severity of the already existing charges levied against Dylann Roof. Unfortunately, South Carolina has no hate crime statutes, so this characterization would not change the state’s prosecution strategy even if there was a desire to apply this moniker. We believe this tragedy satisfies all the necessary criteria to classify it as an act of domestic terrorism aimed at the African-American community. It is a declaration intended to inform us that even in the places where we should feel most safe, in our churches, schools, and even our homes, we are not safe, nor has our community ever truly been. This hate-filled and violent act is not an isolated incident, but fueled by the racially charged atmosphere in our country, created by over 200 years of racism and violence directed at the African-American community. Dylann Roof is not the first to take aim at the African-American community, and if we continue to do nothing, refusing to make a commitment to improve race relations and the factors that fuel these type of violent acts, he will be far from the last.

As members of the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association, in the tradition of Black resistance and liberation embodied by Emanuel AME Church, we commit to continue the fight against racial injustice, and refuse to allow this senseless act of terrorism to destroy our hope and desire for racial harmony, equality, and social justice in this country and abroad. We encourage the Duke community, and every American, to read and engage in open dialogue, educating yourselves about America's history and continued legacy of racism, and to become involved with community and national efforts to address institutional racism in all its forms. The Black Graduate and Professional Student Association will continue to champion solutions to these systemic problems and we welcome your support and involvement in this upcoming academic year.

Signed,

The Black Graduate and Professional Student Organization