University News

WIU President Guiyou Huang: Remembering Lives Lost in Buffalo, NY

May 19, 2022

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Dear Western Illinois University Community,

We remember Roberta Drury, Margus Morrison, Andre Mackniel, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young and Ruth Whitfield. These 10 people, who were going about their day as any other, were murdered Saturday in Buffalo, New York. They died in a racially motivated hate crime, what has been called a racist massacre, because they were Black.

According to WIU Professor Dean Alexander, director of Western's Homeland Security Research Program, hate groups and bias-based movements, principally those embracing white nationalism, have gained prominence in recent years, with the Department of Homeland Security and FBI deeming white nationalism and its followers as the main domestic extremist threat. As racism and acts of domestic terrorism continue to pervade our society, we stand with our Black students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

We condemn anti-Blackness, white supremist ideologies, and all forms of racially motivated hatred and discrimination. We will do all we can to ensure that our University is a safe place for all members of our WIU family and our guests.

If you have experienced an incident of racism or profiling, or any incident related to hate and discrimination, we are here for you and have resources in place. Incidents of hate and discrimination should be reported to the Office of Public Safety (309-298-1949 and safety@wiu.edu) and/or Equal Opportunity and Access
(equal_opportunity_and_access/report.php, or by emailing email titleix@wiu.edu). For mental health assistance, students can reach out to counselors from the University Counseling Center ((309) 298-2453), while employees can contact the Employee Assistance Program ((866) 659-3848).

We remember Roberta Drury, Margus Morrison, Andre Mackniel, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young and Ruth Whitfield, and so many others lost because of racism and hate. We will work to eradicate these evils that plague our society and affect so many.

Sincerely,

Guiyou Huang, Ph.D.
President
Western Illinois University



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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