The senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others, all in the past few months, sent shockwaves of unrest felt around the globe. Their deaths, all at the hands of police officers, reflect ongoing, systemic discrimination in our country. These are not isolated incidents.  

Protests and mass action in response to these killings have erupted in every major U.S. city and across all states. We at The Lafayette issue this as a statement of solidarity with the black community and all those who fight with them for justice. 

These murders, which we have seen in grisly detail on our phones and TVs, are indisputable evidence that the shadow of slavery still looms large over this country. They are the foregone conclusion of over-policing communities of color, the hyper-militarization of police forces, and racist policy and legislation at all levels of government. 

We denounce the reactionary and violent rhetoric of the Trump administration, but we also recognize that these issues transcend the presidency. Racism endures outside the minds of brazenly hateful individuals. It is embedded in the very frameworks of our institutions.

This year, more than ever, The Lafayette will create a platform, through our reporting and our editorials, to amplify black voices. Lafayette College, and The Lafayette newspaper, are historically white institutions, and black voices have often been excluded from the Lafayette narrative. Through our journalism, we vow to combat this erasure and to expose injustice in our own institutions.

At the same time, we remain committed to attacking prejudice in ourselves, in our organization, and in the community. We implore our readers to do the same, and to utilize The Lafayette as a vehicle for change on our campus by sharing their candid perspectives and experiences with us. 

Finally, we urge our fellow students to give. Give money to black activist organizations and community bail funds. Give time to learn how to be actively anti-racist. Give energy to protest. 

We ask our readers to stand with all those who fight injustice, now and in the coming years. We stand with you.

Signed,

The Lafayette Editorial Board