Breonna Taylor. Say Her Name.

Dear Roosevelt Community,

This afternoon, a Kentucky grand jury ruled that no officers will be charged directly in the murder of Breonna Taylor. We are outraged at this gross miscarriage of justice. We mourn with Breonna’s family and friends. Words can do little to fill the hole in their hearts.

As I have stated before, America has a long history of state-sanctioned violence against people of color and racism throughout our criminal justice system. This grand jury ruling is another tragic example.  It is critical that we need more open dialogue and action about policing and the laws around it.

I cannot imagine how deep the pain is to the Black community because of this horrific ruling. Knowing, that the group who is supposedly meant to “serve and protect” are the very people taking the lives of those that look like you.   The sorrow, fear and outrage over watching the criminal justice system continue to fail Black Americans, over and over again, is a heavy burden to bear.

For over 75 years, Roosevelt University has stood for social justice. From our founding, we have joined the fight for justice and equity. We have stood in solidarity with our students of color, and we will continue to stand with them. We encourage our community to exercise their constitutional right to peacefully demonstrate and to demand true social justice. The protests throughout the summer have been historic and righteous. And though the ruling today was heinous, we cannot give up. We must fight harder. We must continue to say her name. Breonna Taylor.

With warm regards,

Ali R. Malekzadeh, Ph.D.
President of Roosevelt University