Like many of you, I have been hearing about increasing instances of violence targeting our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) brothers and sisters. I want to assure you that St. Petersburg College is an inclusive community, where we value and respect the lives of people of all ethnicities, races and religions. We denounce racial injustice, classism, sexism, religious persecution and bigotry. We focus on modeling these values towards one another and the communities we serve through our words and actions.
We are living through a tumultuous time in our society. Let’s ask ourselves what we can do to bring about effective change and support our AAPI community and other communities that are underrepresented and facing oppression.
Repeated acts of injustice and inhumanity in the news can truly wear on your heart and your soul. If you are feeling sad, distressed, or angry, I urge you to use the resources SPC provides. Our faculty/staff Employee Assistance Program is here to help you. I know you will show compassion to any students who may express that they are hurting and please also remind them about our student assistance counseling program.
One positive reaction to the times we live in is that people are coming together and lifting their voices in support of one another, and this provides comfort as we live through these challenging times. I believe in the good in people, and I feel that good will ultimately prevail.
Please send good thoughts and spread good deeds throughout our community and beyond, so we can be the change we want to see.