A letter from ESU President Allison D. Garrett.
Dear ESU Students, Faculty and Staff,
As we enter the last weeks of our spring semester, many of us may be focused on our own busyness. Others may be focused on historic events happening elsewhere, such as the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd.
I believe that this trial is a watershed moment for the United States. The actions on trial in Minneapolis and playing out in other cities across our country demonstrate the work that we must commit to for this country to make progress in the areas of civil rights and social justice.
All of us are around people whose life experiences and viewpoints are very different from our own. We may not understand their views. While we cannot know their life and their experiences, we can listen to one another, be empathetic and support each other.
In these next days, I encourage all of us to reflect on our own individual humanity and what it means to be part of our community — in Emporia, on the Emporia State campus and in the larger Hornet Nation.
Early next week, I will share resources to continue conversations, access help we may need and commit ourselves as individuals and as a community to the path forward.
I know that you, like me, want to see the United States of the future be better than the United States of the past. Let’s work together toward that end.
Respectfully,
Allison D. Garrett
President