San Francisco  October 19, 2007

President Cox Responds To Recent Hate Crime at Columbia University

Dear Colleagues:

Many of you will have read or heard about a recent incident at Teacher’s College of Columbia University in New York involving Dr. Madonna Constantine.  Dr. Constantine, a prominent African American scholar and an expert on multicultural psychology, arrived at her office to find a hangman’s noose on her door. This  act of hate and intimidation is one of several recent displays of racism in educational settings. In Jena, Louisiana, nooses were hung from a tree in a schoolyard the day after a group of black students had gathered there, in what was known as a white-student only gathering place. Another noose was displayed at the cultural center at the University of Maryland in College Park. 

It is shocking to realize that these heinous acts can take place on high school and college campuses, but they point to the fact that racism and racial hatred may arise anywhere, at anytime.  These realities call for universities to re-double their work to understand racism (and other types of discrimination and bias), to develop strategies to address these entrenched problems, and to find ways to create communities and a world that is fair and just.
 
Four weeks ago, on our Los Angeles campus, in response to the Jena 6 situation, a group of students, staff, and faculty began meeting to discuss what they might do to educate the LA community about Jena 6 and other incidents of hate. I applaud their initiative in bringing these difficult and complex issues into the academy for our collective edification and considered action. If faculty and students on other Alliant campuses would like to learn more about the LA project, please contact Dr. Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Systemwide Director of I-MERIT.

This spate of hate crimes re-affirms the significance of our mission here at Alliant; it reminds me of just how important our work is in developing professional practitioners who can function responsively and effectively in a multicultural and international context.  I appreciate the work that we -- students, staff, and faculty -- are actively engaged in. Let us continue to work to make a positive difference in the world.

Regards,
Dr. Geoffrey Cox
President
Alliant International University