ICCTA's #CCLiftUp statement

June 2, 2020

Dear ICCTA Trustees:

The tragic circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis makes clear yet again that systemic discrimination and unjust racial disparities continue to plague our country. Those who have taken the law into their own hands violate the core values of our commitment to inclusion, acceptance, dignity, and justice for all people.

Those of us who work tirelessly for good through our community colleges and what they represent must stand united with those afflicted against the base instincts of others among us that seek to divide, denigrate and subjugate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other differences.

The best way to give hope to those who have been victimized is to share what you are doing at your college and in your community to uplift people of color and those who are under-represented. We welcome you to submit your #CCLiftUp stories to Kim Villanueva at [email protected], who will share them with our ICCTA community.

We cannot remain silent in the face of this heart-breaking reality. As a partner with so many community colleges in the State of Illinois, we have an obligation to fight ignorance and intolerance, model inclusivity, and embrace the power that diversity represents.

Thank you for your participation,

 

Bob Thompson                                                                                     Jim Reed
2019-2020 ICCTA President                                                               ICCTA Executive Director

#CCLiftUp