EMU Today

Like you, we are outraged and saddened by the tragic events leading to Tyre Nichols's death. He was a young, talented individual with a promising future ahead of him. The actions of the police officers involved were reckless and have no place in our society that’s still grappling with the horrific deaths of Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, among others.

This horrific incident comes on the heels of the mass shooting involving Asian and Pacific Islander communities. We still haven’t had a chance to wrap our heads around these vicious hate crimes and share the grief of those who lost their loved ones.

We recognize our students, faculty and staff may be struggling to process the recent violent acts, video and the murder of Mr. Nichols. As a response to these events, the Chief Diversity Office will host a Community Wellness and Self-Care when Dealing with Traumatic News Events discussion from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8,  in the Intersection room, across from Service EMU, in the Student Center.  

As our community mourns, your emotional well-being is of the utmost importance. As a reminder, we have resources to help our campus community cope with these issues plaguing our society, contact CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) for additional support.

Now is the time to lean on one another in sorrow but also to hope for a more lawful and fair future. Let us rely on our shared commitment to a safe, caring, and inclusive community.

Doris Fields, Ph.D.                                     James Smith, Ph.D.

Interim Chief Diversity Officer                    President