Statement from IRISE on Today's Verdict

Today’s verdict is one of justice for George Floyd’s family and the larger battle for racial justice in the United States.  It does not, however, ease the heartbreak nor represent closure regarding state-sanctioned racial violence perpetuated against Brown and Black bodies.  The ruling instead serves as a reminder that we all have a continued responsibility and obligation to challenge and eradicate systemic racism, discrimination, and hatred that continues to happen in our schools, neighborhoods, workplaces and lives.

 IRISE will continue to use its resources to better understand and develop solutions to the most intractable problems of racial injustice in Colorado and the larger Rocky Mountain West.   We must continue to build from this moment to bring new voices, diverse methodologies, and the knowledge and teaching of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American & Pacific Islanders to the center of our work in higher education.