It is not every day that white supremacists march on a university campus, torches lighted, chanting “You will not replace us,” and “Jews will not replace us,” and brawling with students and others who protested their racist, neo-Nazi and other violent messages. Yet to see the events in Charlottesville as an isolated incident would miss those groups’ commitment to spreading their white nationalist views far and wide.
Our responsibility on a university campus is to face the depth and breadth of this hostility directly. At Columbia, we reject the white supremacist violence and hatred that are at odds with our core values and our commitment to a diverse, inclusive community here and in society at large.
Our community will have opportunities this fall to come together to focus more on the ideas expressed and the conditions that give rise to the renewed power of the groups that marched in Charlottesville and have been gathering with growing force around the country.
We grieve with those who mourn the loss of life in Charlottesville, and we will persevere with those who stand against the attacks on our shared humanity.
If you would like to speak with a counselor for support, contact Counseling and Psychological Services (Morningside) - 212-854-2878 or Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) Mental Health Services - 212-305-3400. To report an incident of concern or potential bias, contact Columbia Public Safety - 212-854-5555, 212-305-7979 (CUMC) or 212-853-3333 (Manhattanville).