An open letter from University leadership: Hate has no place at Carolina
In a message to campus, Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and other University leaders condemn multiple incidents of racism, antisemitism and bigoted harassment this semester.
Since the start of the semester, multiple incidents of racism, antisemitism and bigoted harassment have impacted our Carolina community.
Last week, a man trespassed on our campus and disrupted a meeting of Black students with racial slurs and threatening behavior. Earlier, Taiwanese students encountered hatred and bigotry while welcoming new students to campus. Most recently, a Jewish member of our community was similarly targeted.
One incident is too many.
These acts violate Carolina’s core values, including respect for people of different viewpoints, cultures and religions. Those values unite our community. Hatred and bigotry do the opposite: They threaten our sense of security and strike at the heart of who we are.
Faculty, students and staff come to Carolina to learn, discover, teach and serve in a community strengthened by the free and civil exchange of ideas. That work requires an environment in which every person is respected, every voice can participate and knowledge can be pursued without fear or intimidation. Every member of our community deserves the opportunity to participate fully in the life of this University with dignity and security.
We unequivocally condemn these acts of racism, antisemitism and bigotry, and know how they can reverberate across campus. They are abhorrent, and they are fundamentally incompatible with the purpose of a university. They are not Carolina. They do not reflect who we are, what we stand for or the community we are committed to being.
Each of us has a responsibility to reaffirm the bonds of mutual respect that sustain a great university and to reject rhetoric or actions that divide and diminish us. Hate has no place at Carolina, and we must stand together to ensure it never defines us.
Lee H. Roberts
Chancellor
Magnus Egerstedt
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
James Orr
Senior Vice Provost for Student Success
Michael Gerhardt
Chair of the Faculty
Please remember: If you ever feel your physical safety is threatened, including on social media, call police immediately by dialing 911. If you have experienced discrimination or harassment based on protected status, contact the University Compliance Office at reportandresponse@unc.edu.
