Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Dania Matos sent the following message on Monday, May 16:
Dear Black leaders on campus,
The news of the anti-Black mass shooting in Buffalo this weekend is shocking and horrific. I imagine many of you felt deep sadness or anger as you watched the news unfold. I know I did. I still do.
I thought especially of our Black graduates, who were celebrating at commencement on Saturday when the news first broke. A time for student celebration, agency and empowerment was clouded by white supremacy, racism, gun violence and xenophobic hate. This should not be. It reminds me of how far we have to go.
I, and all the leaders on Berkeley’s campus, stand shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with the community in Buffalo and all of you in the struggle against anti-Black racism. The values embodied in our Principles of Community are our guiding light to a “safe, caring and humane environment” where we can all thrive.