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June 12, 2020

Providence College announces initiatives to address racism, intolerance

Dear Members of Our Campus Community,  

We have all watched in horror as Mr. George Floyd, an African-American male, died beneath the knee of a white police officer as three other officers looked on and did nothing. And sadly, Mr. Floyd, along with Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, were only the most recent victims of a long history of racial violence in our country. We also reacted in horror and disgust at the racist behavior of a white woman against Christian Cooper, an African-American bird watcher in New York City’s Central Park. 

In response to this systemic racism, we have seen our cities explode with protests, both peaceful and violent. Black people, so many other marginalized people, and their allies are outraged, exhausted, and demanding changes in our society until we truly reflect and promote the rights and dignity of every person.   

On behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB President Archbishop José Gomez issued a powerful statement in which he says: “We should all understand that the protests we are seeing in our cities reflect the justified frustration and anger of millions of our brothers and sisters who even today experience humiliation, indignity, and unequal opportunity only because of their race or the color of their skin.  

“It should not be this way in America. Racism has been tolerated for far too long in our way of life. We should not let it be said that George Floyd died for no reason. We should honor the sacrifice of his life by removing racism and hate from our hearts and renewing our commitment to fulfill our nation’s sacred promise — to be a beloved community of life, liberty, and equality for all.” (USCCB president’s full statement here)  

As members of a Catholic, Dominican campus, a community dedicated to veritas, we, too, should be outraged, exhausted, and demanding change. Sadly, as has been experienced by too many marginalized members of our campus community, Providence College is not immune from the sins of racism and intolerance. Many members of our community have suffered, and continue to suffer, the effects of these sins. Their pain is expressed eloquently in personal testimony, as well as in the various statements issued by faculty and student groups over the past two weeks. As a white male in a position of privilege, I recognize that I, and many others, cannot begin to understand the painful experiences endured by so many. Nonetheless, we are listening, and we hear you.  

We also recognize that, as a community, we must be better than this. As president of Providence College, Father Shanley has been a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus. As he has done, I apologize for the pain that so many in our community continue to experience, and pledge to continue and increase efforts to address systemic racism and intolerance. Acknowledging our own shortcomings, as individuals and as a community, is important, but is not enough. That acknowledgment must lead to change. We must continue to seek creative, sustainable, measurable, and most importantly, impactful initiatives to transform Providence College into a beloved community. 

I commend Ms. Jacqueline Peterson, her colleagues in the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and so many other concerned people of goodwill in our community for the initiatives they are developing. Some of these initiatives are described below.   

We are considering a number of other concrete initiatives and will provide information to you on an ongoing basis. We encourage our faculty, staff, and students to share their ideas and recommendations with us. The College is ready to provide the necessary resources, and I am happy to report that a number of trustees and other friends of the College have pledged to financially support us in meaningful efforts to eliminate racism.  

Most importantly, as people of faith, we pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our efforts to make PC a more loving, inclusive, and equitable community. We are developing ways of coming together in prayer even now, asking the Lord to lead us, to give success to our efforts, and to bring peace and justice to our campus, our country, and our world.  

In closing, I would like to call your attention to PC200, the College’s strategic plan for the next 10 years. Goal II of the plan challenges each of us to help create “A Model of Love, Inclusivity, and Equity in a Diverse Community.” It goes on to say, “Inspired by Catholic teaching and St. Dominic’s wide embrace of all people, our community will model the love, empathy, and respect which are at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A diverse body of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees will work together to advance the mission of the College.”   

May we, as a loving community, work together toward achieving this goal.  

Respectfully, 

Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78 & ’82G

Executive vice president/president-elect 

Ongoing and New Efforts to Address  Systemic Racism at Providence College 

Presidential Committee to Address Systemic Racism: In early July, I will convene and chair a standing committee consisting of faculty, administrators, and students that will provide ongoing assessment of racial tensions on our campus and advise the Senior Cabinet and me on substantive institutional responses.  

Creation of a Board of Trustees Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At its June 11 meeting, the Board Affairs Committee agreed to the creation of a board committee dedicated specifically to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. While it is the role of each board committee to be guided and informed by these principles, this new committee will formalize the board’s commitment to DEI. A committee charge will be developed and presented to the entire board for its approval. 

Anti-Racism Summer Series: This summer series has been designed to engage community members in learning, discussing, and generating actions around the topic “Understanding Why Racism Prevails and How to Become an Anti-Racist Society.” Sessions will allow for active virtual connections with students, faculty, and staff during the summer and will continue in the fall.  

Community Advisory Committee: Recently reconstituted, the Community Advisory Committee is a panel that is comprised of alumni and non-alumni who represent several different minority constituencies within the city of Providence. We will look to this group for additional guidance and support, as well as honest answers about the actions of the College and how we are being perceived within their communities.   

Town Hall Meeting: As soon as directives related to social distancing and large gatherings are relaxed, we will hold a facilitated campus-wide town hall meeting and charette to allow members of our community to share observations or personal experiences of racism, and to suggest meaningful ways to address this problem on our campus.  

Strategic Directions Steering Committee: For the past several months, the Strategic Directions Steering Committee, co-chaired by Ms. Peterson and Vice President for Mission and Ministry Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98, has been developing a plan to provide direction for campus-wide engagement in the fall in an inclusive redesign process around equity by: 

• Addressing questions of how we are living (or not living) our vision through our actions and behaviors; 

• Identifying the practices, policies, and structures that need attention to allow us to live our vision; 

• Implementing a plan that is created from the voices and ownership of all members of the community; 

• Supporting training, new learning, and practices to sustain the vision; and 

• Producing concrete data and documentation to measure the progress that the College is making — or where we are falling short — in realizing this vision.  

Center for Collaborative Education: The College is currently exploring a contractual engagement with the Center for Collaborative Education, which, for the last 25 years, has engaged with school districts, colleges, and communities throughout the country to create more equitable, diverse, and inclusive structures.  

Communal Prayer: The Office of Mission and Ministry and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will provide regular opportunities for all members of our community to come together in prayer.