June 3, 2020
To the Student Body of The University of Memphis,
We, the Student Government Association at the University of Memphis , want to reverberate
the cries of people of color to be treated fairly, equally and humanely. First and
foremost, we send our sincere condolences to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud
Arbery, Breonna Taylor and all families who have been affected by these senseless
acts of social injustice. We proudly represent a diverse student body, and we stand
in commonality with those who fight for justice. We are deeply saddened by the callous
disregard for human life and the recurring threat to people of color whose melanated
skin is seen to be a threat. We must not remain silent, and we must advocate for our
Black community. We need to have uncomfortable conversations, speak out against racism
in our own homes and spaces, and challenge Americans to unite in solidarity to dismantle
systemic racism.
We can all be a part of incremental changes to make a difference. We encourage you
to actively
engage by using the methods below:
Make a donation, if you can
- Donate to the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
- Donate to the Official I Run With Maud Fund
- Donate to the Official Memphis Bail Bond Fund
- Donate to the Official National Bail Out Fund
- Donate to the Official Black Lives Matter Movement Fund
- Donate to the Official Black Visions Collective Fund
Sign a Petition
- Text “FLOYD” to 55156 to demand that all officers involved in George Floyd’s death are charged with murder.
- Text “JUSTICE” to 55156 and 668366 to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery.
- Text “ENOUGH” to 55156 to demand justice for Breonna Taylor.
- This petition aims to "reach the attention of Mayor Jacob Frey and DA Mike Freeman to beg to have theofficers involved in this disgusting situation fired and for charges to be filed immediately." Sign Here
Send an Email
police@minneapolismn.gov
minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov
policereview@minneapolismn.gov
Make a Phone Call
Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz: 651-201-3400
Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison: 651-296-3353
Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey: 612-673-2100
Minneapolis District Attorney, Mike Freeman: 612-348-5550
Minneapolis Police Internal Affairs: 612-673-3074
Seek Justice
- The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) seeks to reach millions, mobilize hundreds of thousands and organize tens of thousands so that Black political power is a force able to influence national and local agendas in the direction of our shared Vision for Black Lives. Learn More
- The Center for Policing Equity explicitly works with police departments nationally. Learn More
- The Burns Institute specifically seeks to address structural racism in criminal justice. Learn More
- The Showing Up for Racial Justice group works to bring white people into multiracial, anti-racist movements for racial and economic justice. Learn More
- The Black Futures Lab is working on policy platforms to address systemic racism across various issue areas through the Black Agenda 2020. Learn More
The Student Government Association at the University of Memphis will not tolerate
racism, and we ask that you would join us in the fight against it. Moving forward,
SGA will be meeting with the administration to express student concerns, developing
a task force to improve race relations, partnering with campus police to ensure we
have effective safety guidelines and procedures for all Tigers, and developing programmatic
initiatives to assist with advancing the cultural and racial sensitivity of our campus
community.
It is okay not to be okay. You are encouraged to ask someone for help and these resources
are a place to start: Schedule an appointment with a licensed therapist at our University
Counseling Center, talk about what is occurring with your family and friends, educate
yourself and others and advocate for justice. There is no one person who can make
racism disappear, but we can individually impact our circles of influence. There is
strength in numbers. We cannot sit back and wait for change, we have to create it.
So we ask that you seek the truth, no matter your color, religion or political affiliation.
We must change our way of thinking and our way of living so that we can be the change
we want to see. We can start now by working together toward a common purpose and empowering
one another to get through these trying times.
As SGA continues to support students during this time, we encourage all students to
voice their concerns and needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at sga@memphis.edu.
We are here – you are not alone.
Taking Justice,
Desiree’ Dyson, Student Body President
Matthew White, Student Body Vice President