STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY

From faculty members of the Community College of Rhode Island

June 7, 2020

As faculty members of the Community College of Rhode Island, we are deeply disturbed by the murder of George Floyd and the continual brutalization of black and brown people, which stems from the systemic racism that has plagued our country for centuries.

Collectively, we acknowledge and stand against the racism that has been institutionalized in our society and that has caused much social, economic, and educational inequity in our communities. We commit ourselves to working toward dismantling systemic racism, which is based on white supremacy, through our work in and out of the College.

To our students of color, their allies, and the entire CCRI community: we know that this work will be difficult and uncomfortable. Some of us will have to spend more time listening and learning without defensiveness or unnecessary guilt. Some of us will have to be supportive and patient with allies who mean well but need guidance navigating issues they might not have ever had to seriously consider. Some of us will have to explore the differences between individual racism and systemic racism and honestly reconsider some of our attitudes about race. Many of us chose to work at CCRI because we believe in the mission to make education accessible to all members of the community. Education can promote equality and equity, and we hope that our diverse student body feels supported, respected, and heard by those of us who teach at CCRI.

We realize that life adds an extra burden for people of color and, unfortunately, these burdens can range from being misjudged to being killed by the hands of the law. We want you to know that we see you, we acknowledge your race, and we know that your lives matter. This should no longer be a burden that one community must bear alone.

We know that all lives are supposed to matter, but we realize that this will never be true in America until Black Lives Matter. We stand in solidarity as we try to make the kind of change that can "[re]form a more perfect union."

Signed:

Maureen Abbate

Mazin Adam

Karen Allen

Joseph Amante y Zapata

Cheryl Amantea

Anthony R. Amore

Renée Anderson

Lynne Andreozzi-Fontaine

Beth Anish

Susan E. Apshaga

Elizabeth A. Arendt

Joe Arsenault

Donna Ashworth

James Austin

Cynthia L. Banna

Anthony Basilico

Kathleen Beauchene

Kathy Blessing

Gary Bower

Cassandra Brewer

Brendan Britton

J C Brooks

Susan Brown

Maggie Burke

Emily Burns

Thomas Buss

Amy Chaves

Rebecca Clark

Ted Clement

John Cole

Natalie Coletta

Margaret Connell

Melinda Couture

Allethaire Cullen

Emily Cummiskey

Bill Dalessio

Liliana Dan

Leslie Dolan

Paula Domenico

John Dorn

Kristin Dummer-Foley

Justine N. Egan-Kunicki

Mark England

Leslie Faraone-Wolff

Maura Faulise

Kevin David Fontaine

Christine Fox

Kerri H. Friel

Renée Gaboury

Julie Galleshaw

Kathleen Gazzola

Julie Gelsomino

Kerri Germano

Eylana Goffe

Helen Gomes

Andrew Goodman

Debra Grande

Karen Griscom

Candace Grist

Pamela Hallene

Cindy L. Hansen

Katharine Harrison

Roger Hart

Mark Hartshorn

Linda Hassoun

Heidi Henry

Kristen Hogan

Katie Holcomb

Bethany Hopkins

Isabel Trombetti

Lynn Jackson

Eileen James

Cynthia Johnson

Maddie Josephs

Charles Kell

Mike Kelly

Ali Khalil

Raymond Kilduff

Robert Kilduff

Leslie Killgore

Jana Knibb

Karen Kortz

Rita Koyame-Marsh

Melanie Lally

Marisa L. Laurent

Barbara Leasher

Paul Leclerc

Yvonne Leonard

Marc G. LeVasseur

Valerie LeVasseur

Dina Levitre

Debra Lilli

Todd Linton

Jon Lu

Sheryl MacDougall

Maryhelen D. MacInnes

Maria C. Mansella

Leigh Martin

Suzanne McCormack

J. David McGrath

Robert Melucci

Brenda Micheletti

James Miller

Elizabeth A. Morais

Chuck Morgan

Sabine Moritz

Ellen Mroz

Jeanne Mullaney

Maureen Murray

Steven Murray

Rachel Nichols

Deborah Notarianni-Girard

Daniel O'Neill

Ann Omollo

Walter O. Orellana

Melissa Orsinelli-Jordan

Carol Panaccione

Basile Panoutsopoulos

Don Paquet

Shawn Parker

Denise Parrillo

Carol Patnaude

Wendy L. Pelto

Beverly Pepe

Chris Peterson

Rosemary Prisco

Tony Rashid

Jack Renza

John Ribezzo

Matthew Rieger

Jamie Robinson

Rachel Rogers

John Rood

Kimberly Crealey Rouillier

Carol Rowey

Sasha Ruggieri

Laura Ryan

Kathia Salinas

James Salisbury

Marilyn Salvatore

Gina Santoro

Aaron Schrank

Rebecca Shannon

Laurie Sherman

Joseph M. Silva

Sandra Luzzi Sneesby

Bruno Soffientino

Kimberley St. Jean

Svetlana Staviskiy

Timothy Stewart

Jason Stockford

Wayne Suits

Holly Susi

Kristen Swithers

David Tennant

Regina Traficante

Kira Trainor

Joan E. Tullie

Lou Turchetta

Gaines Tyler

Soudabeh Valicenti

Amanda Vanner

Tyler Vouros

Steven Wachira

Marla Wallace

Evelyn M.Walsh

Scott Warila

Paul White

Krista Wilhelmsen

Kenneth P. Wilkinson

Pam Wood

Robyn Younkin

Mark Zellers

Christopher Zoto