These words are not mine. These words are from my friend and colleague who is a Black man. Thank you Cameron for allowing me to share your strong words tonight. His voice matters and I honor him:
I speak for both myself and my Admission colleagues when I say that we are deeply grappling with the injustices against Black Americans in this country.
The University of Denver is committed to being a great private university dedicated to the public good. We strive for excellence, innovation, engagement, integrity and inclusiveness. We must publicly acknowledge and condemn the systemic oppression that exists in this nation, specifically as it pertains to race, and the overwhelming result of Black lives lost.
The University of Denver consistently contends with our own history and we must be reflective, honest and vocal about the atrocities of our society in order to successfully fulfill our motto. We must commit ourselves to the journey, struggle and power of being a truly inclusive University dedicated to excellence in diversity.
We stand with the many protestors, activists and community leaders who fearlessly navigate this landscape and continuously place their mental, physical and emotional health on the line to bring awareness of the issues and demand results from our country’s leaders. We bow our heads in solidarity with the families of the numerous lives lost at the hands bigotry, racism, violence and hate.
Let’s work together to make DU a space for anti-racism education and to push for the change this campus and our country needs to see.
In solidarity,
Cameron Simmons
S.t.a.r. Creative 