At Susquehanna University, we stand united behind our friends and colleagues at the University of Virginia in the wake of this weekend’s tragic events. We join them and all who support the ideals of our nation as we mourn the death of Heather Heyer. Our thoughts are with those who were injured in the attack in Charlottesville and their families and friends as they aid them in their recovery.

This harrowing act was the sharp spike in a growing wave of demonstrations of willful ignorance and a cultural failing to sustain a shared sense of humanity. White supremacy, the KKK, and other ideologies of exclusion and prejudice are repugnant demonstrations of hatred and evil that we must oppose together. The events in Charlottesville were a chilling reminder of how desperately our world needs liberally educated leaders.

Our mission is to “educate students for productive, creative, and reflective lives of achievement, leadership, and service in a diverse, dynamic, and interdependent world.” To this end we will not mourn passively. We will redouble our efforts to be a model of inclusion and to advocate for the rights and dignity of all our neighbors.

Peace does not just mean putting an end to violence or war, but to all other factors that threaten peace, such as discrimination, such as inequality, poverty.

— Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician and activist

We welcome and support all who embrace peace and respect for the rights of others. We will not rest until all are welcome