Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Written by
Liz Tovar, Ph.D
University of Iowa

April 14, 2021

 

As we see the images of Daunte Wright’s death and the pain from the Brooklyn Center protests, I know our community is again fearful and hurting.  People are scared, and our community wants to feel safe and welcoming for everyone.

I hear you, and I know this fear is real.  Seeing these images, again and again, can be traumatic.

I encourage us to keep talking to each other and supporting our community members who are in need. We cannot become closed off. We need to keep voicing our concerns, watching out for each other, and continue the dialogue to support each other.

Your campus is here to help you. Whether you need to talk or report a concern, I encourage you to use our resources (I will list them at the end of this note). If you see something, please say something. The Division of Student Life offers Mindful and Engaged Hawkeye support spaces. The Division of Student Life and the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is creating spaces for students, faculty, and staff who need to process and reflect on the recent violence taking place across our country.

Our campus continues to take action through the Reimagining Campus Safety Action Committee to identify strategies, tactics, and timelines for creating a campus community that supports all individuals' safety, with particular attention to people who have traditionally experienced disproportionate harm from law enforcement systems. I encourage you to click on the link above to see the committee's scope, led by Vice President for Student Life Sarah Hansen.

I am confident our institution will be taking action steps based on the extensive work this group has done to develop the new future of public safety for the campus.

Hawkeyes always look out for each other and stick together. Keep talking to each other, know your safety is our top priority, and we will all continue to move forward, together, to make our community welcoming for everyone!

Go Hawks!

 

Liz Tovar
Executive Officer and Associate Vice President
Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 

Please use this list of resources as a guide to reaching out to talk if you need help or want to help others.

Campus resources

Student resources

Faculty and staff resources