A Statement from DSU President and Provost on Charlottesville
A statement from Delaware State University President Harry L. Williams and Provost Tony Allen on Charlottesville
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
1st Amendment, US Constitution
Ratified December 15, 1791
The events taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend led to the death of three American citizens, serious injuries to many more, and a raging debate over what it means to exercise the right to freedom of speech and assembly. It was a significant moment in a long American struggle rooted in race, class, and power. Unfortunately, it was also a familiar moment and one that cannot be tolerated if, as a nation, we are indeed striving for “a more perfect union.”
To be clear and unequivocal, there is no scenario that one can contemplate where freedom of speech and assembly should include intimidation, violence and/or the loss of life. In fact, the Supreme Court has ruled specifically on the categories of behavior that fall outside normal First Amendment protections. These include, but are not limited to, “incitement to violence” and “true threats.” Both seem applicable to this situation conclusion substantiated by the brute force of one man plowing his car into a group of “anti-racist” demonstrators in the name of white nationalism, neo-Nazi philosophy, and the long, sordid history of the Ku Klux Klan.
As leaders of one of the most diverse Universities in our country, we will always speak out fiercely against the actions of these hate groups. They are symbolic of the underlying issue Dr. W.E.B. du Bois first noted in 1900 at the American Negro Academy, “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.” Now well into the 21st century, our country continues to struggle with issues of equity, equality, and disparity in a broad socio-economic context.
Those are complex problems, but the solutions to Charlottesville do not require new remedies. In the face of hate, the only proven antidote is UNITY. That unity was on full display in central Virginia, as Americans of different backgrounds and beliefs stood together, risking life and limb, against a common threat to our democracy. They did not retreat, even when faced with intimidation and violent retaliation. And we were all watching.
Therefore, while we are justifiably enraged by the tragic events of the past weekend, and grieve for the victims and their families, DSU also stands in complete solidarity with those who linked arms in Charlottesville to defend all that is good and decent about this nation. We honor the people who have risked and even given their very lives for the notion that we are ALL indeed “endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
In the coming weeks and months, we know that our University community – students, staff, and faculty alike – will show its support by our actions. We encourage you to stay vigilant, speak up, and show up when it matters most.
In the words of Reverend Martin Luther King, our ultimate measure, “is not where [we] stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where [we] stand at times of challenge and controversy.”
Today, we stand with Charlottesville and the nation’s never-ending quest for “a more perfect union.”
Of Service,
Harry L. Williams
President of Delaware State University
Tony Allen
DSU Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs