Dear BMCC Community,
On January 6th, our country witnessed an attack on our democracy and the continuation of the unsettling circumstances that waver around racial injustice and lawlessness.
Watching the events unfold in the days that followed, I think about our students and our college community. These past ten months have been unsettling for all of us. Our BMCC community has weathered the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and witnessed nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice. The determination of our students, faculty and staff to find meaning and make positive change—even in times of strife—supports my belief that our country can move forward to a positive and brighter future.
I also know that anger is part of the experience of processing the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. We must take that anger, and that despair, and channel it into learning opportunities to heighten our abilities to express ourselves while respecting others.
I am proud of our BMCC community, our commitment to advancing equity, strengthening a culture of care, and advancing justice through education. Faculty not only share knowledge and skills, they guide our students in responsible debate, and our graduates hold skills that will serve them all their lives. They will apply those skills as they continue their higher education, build careers, expose the roots of injustice and strengthen their communities.
Our students have already seen many models of leadership, in their lives, and I have every confidence that the leadership they have begun to express at BMCC will reflect our institution’s core values—to ensure that all members of our community feel that they belong and are valued, regardless of religious, political, racial and socioeconomic differences.
Thank you all for the work you do to make BMCC and this world a better place.
Sincerely,
Anthony E. Munroe
President, Borough of Manhattan Community College
Students who would like support as they process these events can consult a peer mentor who will acquaint them with an array of resources at BMCC, or they can reach out directly to the BMCC Counseling Center. Faculty and Staff can visit the Human Resources website to obtain free counseling services through the CUNY Work/Life Program.
