To each and every valued member of our SSW community
We woke this morning to news of shootings and deaths of police officers in Dallas, Texas at an otherwise peaceful protest against the wrongful deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. These are truly significant and difficult times.
As our School identifies how we shall stand up against hate in our communities, let us embrace principles of love, tolerance, and non-violence. Standing up to hate includes valuing the lives of these officers and their families. I continue to hold great hope and optimism for our own School and the changes that we will put into place and ultimately for the role that we can play in joining forces against hate.
We will receive news of other such violent and impactful events. It is important that we find ways to take care of ourselves, those we love, and our communities.
With peace and love
Marianne
Marianne RM Yoshioka, PhD, MSW
Dean and Elizabeth Marting Treuhaft Professor
Smith College School for Social Work