The message below was sent to our campus community following the deadly shootings in the Atlanta area on Tuesday, March 16.

Dear Knox Community,

The shootings in the Atlanta area, which left six Asian women dead, and eight people murdered in total, are a national tragedy for both the victims’ families and more broadly the Asian and Asian American community, which had already been reeling from a marked increase in racist violence and harassment directed against them.

Our heart goes out to the victims, their families and members of the Asian community who are suffering from a great deal of fear and pain. It is intolerable that these communities have experienced acts of racism, violence, and hatred. As a campus community, we denounce these vile acts and stand in solidarity with our Asian and Asian American friends, alumni, and colleagues and all others targeted by racist hate. 

Just yesterday morning, a new report to Congress warned about the threat posed by domestic terrorism, specifically noting white supremacist violence espousing racist ideologies. And now, once again, we find ourselves condemning another act of hate. We condemn those who have used anti-Asian rhetoric in conjunction with COVID-19; this rhetoric from public figures in our national media has stoked fear and hateful acts. Our condemnation and outrage can only be so effective in a world in which our fellow human beings are murdered or harassed for the color of their skin, their gender identity or expression, the language they speak, their political ideology, or the faith they profess. We must expect action from ourselves and others.

The HOPE Center will be open today and tomorrow and available for anyone on campus needing or wanting support during this time. The HOPE Center will be utilizing resources that focus on Asian and Asian American grief and healing. Faculty and staff may access counseling support through the College’s Employee Assistance Program. Also, if you witness or are subjected to racism or harassment in any form, we encourage you to report the incident via the bias incident reporting form. To learn more about racism and violence against Asians and Asian Americans, and to get involved and #StopTheHate, we are providing you with this list of anti-Asian violence resources and a link to Stop AAPI Hate, a leading coalition of organizations working to end racism against the AAPI community. The United States has a history of anti-Asian violence and has seen a significant increase in that violence due to misinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic. You can learn more about that history here. 

We call on the Knox community to take action against hate by advocating for the causes you believe in, standing with those you care about, and letting your voice be heard. In the hours, days, and weeks ahead, let us all join our words of condemnation to actions against hate. 

Teresa Amott, President

Tianna Cervantez, Executive Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion