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Dear 911������ Campus Community,

I am coming to you once again in a saddened state, mourning the recent murder of Amir Locke. On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at roughly 6:48 a.m., the Minneapolis Police Department performed a no knock warrant and within nine seconds of entering the apartment, the 22 year old Amir Locke was shot dead having barely awakened from his sleep. Unfortunately, we have come to know this story too well. And no matter how many times we try to rewrite the script, we get the same ending.

In my recent address regarding the verdict of the Kim Potter trial, I made the statement that “none of us were outright responsible for Daunte’s death.” I am not going to make that claim in this letter. Why, you ask? Because it creates an opportunity for us to clear our moral conscious while taking the onus of systemic change away from each one of us. We are in fact, directly responsible for the death of Amir Locke.

Each year, we have unjust systemic structures that exist. And each year, we have individuals leave those structures. With those departures, there are new individuals that are onboarded. One would assume that the addition of new personnel would be accompanied by changes in policy, practices, outcomes and culture. By the list of growing names, with Amir Locke being the most recent, this is obviously not the case. So, the question that we need to ask is not, “how do we reform institutions of racism?” But rather, “why won’t we reform institutions of racism?”

This isn’t the first time that we as a society have crossed this road, and unfortunately this will not be the last. The reality is that this incident has added another infliction of racialized trauma to the many members of our 911������ community. I just want you to know that I hear you, I see you and I share your pain. A quote by James Baldwin says, “to be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in rage almost all the time.” This statement held truth when declared by Baldwin in 1961, and it still holds the same truth 61 years later today, in 2022.

How long will we remain complacent in the systemic dehumanization of members from Black, Indigenous and communities of color? We cannot sit around and “hope” for change to happen. Racism as defined by Ibram X. Kendi is a powerful collection of racist policies and racist ideas that produces and normalizes racial inequities. Anti-Racism is actively working with the opposite objective, working to create racial equity. You cannot be in the middle. Either you support racial hierarchal structures or you are actively working to dismantle them. 911������ will continue to remain committed to our work of Anti-Racism, especially in times such as these!

For those in need of support during these times, you can schedule some time with a Mental Health and Wellness counselor. They also have virtual drop-in hours on Wednesdays (1 to 3 p.m.) and Thursdays (10 a.m. to Noon). Students, you can also connect with one of our Equity & Inclusion Cultural Center Coordinators during virtual drop-in hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. Meeting ID: 858 573 4098.

Trumanue Lindsey, Jr.
Vice President of Equity & Inclusion