Statement on Racism and Unrest in America

Our world is hurting.

Communities across the United States are reeling amid the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, but they are hardly the first. For too long, tragedies like these have permeated our society, and we share in the outrage of lives lost so carelessly. 

As an institution, Graceland University strives to create a safe space for our students and aims to establish and maintain an equitable culture in which all have a voice. We pride ourselves in building learning communities that develop students from diverse backgrounds across our many academic and student experiences. We are committed to addressing inequality and injustice – on our campuses and in the world.

Simple words cannot appease centuries of racism and oppression, but we believe it is important for us to lend our voice to the millions of others who are crying out for justice. We stand with you, and we stand in support of those who are peacefully protesting across the country, seeking to address the imbalance of power against the black community.

We acknowledge that flaws exist in our own organization, as they do throughout any institution, but we are committed to identifying, addressing and rooting out injustice where we see it. We must be better and work to create meaningful and lasting change. We must strive for a just world where the worth of all persons is lived and everyone is afforded the same rights, the same laws and the same freedoms.

The suffering that the black community has endured for over four centuries has never obstructed them from hope. May we, as a community, also find ways to move through suffering with them.

Yes, we are hurting. Yes, we are outraged, Yes, we are suffering. But we hold the power of change and the character to persevere to move us from suffering and outrage to hope and action.