@cplong

Anger,” Audre Lorde¹ insists, “is an appropriate reaction to racist attitudes, as is fury when the actions arising from those attitudes do not change.” The racist killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in the wake of more than 400 years of anti-Black violence are infuriating. We must demonstrate solidarity through actions that support our African American colleagues who are directly impacted by the realities of racism. Our actions must be oriented toward systemic change.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020! Hello, I’m Chris Long, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University. Normally I would be staring out over a sea of green, the rafters filled to capacity with family, friends and loved ones to support each of you — the brilliant and resilient class of 2020! Instead, I am coming to you on video … from my living room. 

As this disquieting semester comes to a close, it’s appropriate to pause for a moment to reflect on the distance we have traveled and the path that lies ahead. Over the past five years, we in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University...