Please read the statement from Notre Dame's Dean Marcus Cole, my friend and former student, posted on Mirror of Justice. Here is the gist:
Yes, I am alive, and George Floyd is dead. I can breathe; he cannot. But just because a police officer did not murder me or my children does not mean that he did not harm us. Like many African-American men, my experiences are far too common. While they have never left me, these memories are all too frequently brought back to the surface by watching the videos that have become routine on American televisions and mobile telephones. The callous murders of unarmed men like Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are real for me. That could have been my father. That could have been me. That could be either one of my sons. And in a very real sense, like many other African-American men, I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something. I must do something.
You can and should read the entire statement here.
I commend Dean Cole. His leadership, and that of a handful of other deans, will provide a blueprint for schools around the country to consider and hopefully follow. Let's see if any commit to substantive reforms?