Response to Current Events

Dear Academy Family,

We recognize that remaining silent can be viewed by some as agreement and that is part of the reason that we choose to stand with all victims of racism by making a statement.

Racism infects and spreads like most viruses. It looks for a host that has the right composition for incubation and it settles in. New carriers don’t always realize what they have, but as the infection grows, the true nature of the sickness becomes evermore apparent. By then it’s too late. The infected have transmitted to a new batch of hosts. And the cycle continues.

We have questions about the current state of our nation. Why do these horrific injustices keep happening? How can we prevent them? When will we all feel safe? Where can we all be safe? What can be done? Hard questions with no easy answers.

Education, at its core, is about changing the world. As students. As teachers. As communities. Learning is never-ending, and two blessings buried in its longevity are the eventual realization of how little we know and the acceptance that there will always be more questions in the universe than there are answers.

While we don’t have complete answers, we do have the opportunity to look, to listen, and to learn. And we can do even more. We can feel. We can connect. We can support. We can believe.

We can love.

“Everyone is our neighbor, and people come in an infinite variety...We need to love them all as our neighbor for the type of goodness they possess.” ~True Christianity #410

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

To view a related video message from our Chaplain, Rev. Barry Halterman visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZVFWO-kPqg&feature=youtu.be