Dear Robbins House Friends,

The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery jogging, Breonna Taylor sleeping, and George Floyd not resisting arrest, punch us in the gut; take our breath away at a time when we must speak out. Their deaths remind us of #sayhername and the numerous individuals dying from a history of brutality. It reminds us of the brutality meted out on black and brown populations who were murdered for trying to vote (as in Ocoee, Florida), building wealth (as in Tulsa, Oklahoma), or tortured and killed on a claim of whistling (Emmett Till). Most recently, a black man bird watching in Central Park was considered worth a call to the police, and a black physician was handcuffed while assisting the homeless in Miami. Black people are targets of hate crimes in America more than any other group (SPLC/FBI statistics).

Dr. Martin Luther King reminded us, “Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere.” The current moment demands a racial reckoning in America, with truth telling, soul searching, legal and societal transformation, with the return of dignity and respect for every individual. This goes beyond safeguarding and requires valuing each life equitably. 

In solidarity,
Maria & Rob

Co-Presidents, The Robbins House, Inc.
Maria Madison, Assoc. Dean for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, Brandeis University
Rob Munro, Dean of Academic Program and Equity, Concord Academy