President Geisler and Chief Diversity Officer Cindy Porter

To Our Valiant Community,

We share your horror, anger, and sadness at yet another targeting of Black lives. Ten people were gunned down while shopping for groceries in Buffalo. The assailant is an 18-year-old white supremacist who drove hours to carry out his act of terror.

Acts of violence and hatred have become far too commonplace. We at Manhattanville remain ever vigilant in calling for an end to hatred.

• We stand by the commitment made by College President Mother Grace Dammann, RSCJ, who in 1938 addressed hate straight on, affirming the right of the first African American student to attend our institution in her “Principles Versus Prejudices,” address.
• In summer of 2020, we renewed our commitment to these principles by launching the Road Map towards achieving racial equity and inclusion to hold ourselves accountable for making more progress faster than we have been since Mother Dammann’s 1938 speech.
• We stand with Black and Brown communities and any victims of domestic terror, including the Taiwanese Americans murdered in Los Angeles, and call for an end to hate.  
• We will always stand against all acts of domestic terrorism and violence.
• We stand for the need to acknowledge threats caused by extremist views and the need to educate against bigotry and hatred.

Stand with us as we strive towards a diverse, inclusive, and nurturing community, a community that develops in each student a commitment to social justice, service, and leadership within a global community.

Michael E. Geisler, PhD, President

and

Cindy L. Porter, EdD, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Student Affairs