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Associated Students BLM Statement

This message was originally posted on June 10, 2020.

TO: CSUMB Students and Campus Community

FROM: Associated Students (2020-2021)

As students, we recognize that many are deeply affected in significant ways by the painful, unjust systems that exist in our country today. While America may see itself as “the land of the free and home of the brave”, in truth, this is not our present reality; we are far from it. It is a disheartening fact that we continue to lose innocent lives at the hands of those sworn to serve and protect us with little change.

The murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others are reminders that racism and police brutality continue to plague our country. The Black community is not safe to go on a simple jog in their neighborhood or to reside in their own homes. Racism is embedded in society and is so much more than men in white hoods.

The constant disregard for the lives of people of color, more specifically our Black community, has led to powerful movements of protests and unfortunate chaos. However, with media biases and propaganda, it is easy for our judgments to be clouded or our integrity to be compromised because such fear and anxiety escalates as we see this through every media platform 24/7.

As students in this era, we have the resources prior generations did not have. We must persevere to ensure that as student leaders and scholars at the university -- we work towards creating a more fair and equitable society where individuals can live freely and those who unjustly mistreat and harm others can also be held accountable. While nobody can do everything, everybody can do something.

As your student government, we are committed to embracing the core values associated with community, advocacy, and inclusivity -- all of which reinforces the importance of dismantling systemic racism in all of its forms to our roles as student leaders. Our advocacy will go beyond CSUMB and will include the 22 other CSU campuses to empower the voices of over 400,000 students through our collaboration with the Cal State Student Association (CSSA).

Associated Students encourages the CSUMB community to stand with us as allies, to support and act through on-going education, policy changes, peaceful protests, providing donations, signing petitions, sharing information, voting, or simply speaking out when we see an unjust incident occurring. Also, please remember to practice self-care, to give each other space, to support and above all/more importantly to listen to what matters as we engage in civil discourse with one another in mindful, courageous and constructive ways as a campus community.

As Associated Students, we will dedicate to utilize our platform to address these critical challenges, injustices, and inequities affecting us both at CSUMB and our surrounding communities.

It is critical for all of us to be able to stand up, voice if not demand structural change, human lives depend on it. To our student body, please know that we as the Associated Students (AS) and as student leaders, we recognize your concerns. We value you. We hear you. We stand with you.

In solidarity,

Associated Students (2020-2021)