President’s speeches, letters, and articles
Subject: The Presidential Election Results
November 11, 2016
Dear Reed Community,
I write to you at the close of this week to thank all of you for caring so deeply about each other and about Reed. I have spent the past few days reflecting on the divisive presidential campaign, the election results, and the critically important discussions we continue to have on campus about diversity and inclusion. At these times, we need to support one another, take care of one another, and show kindness and respect to all members of our community.
Reed is built upon the belief that through listening and discourse we can create a supportive, critically engaged community that is a home for us all. We are a community bound by honor, dedicated to the life of the mind, and deeply committed to celebrating human diversity in all its forms. Today, as we move forward as a community and a nation, we must rededicate ourselves to this work and to the building of a more just and peaceful world.
During a time when many of us, particularly members of historically marginalized groups, are anxious about the future, I hope we can come together as a community, as we have done many times over the course of Reed’s history. We have an opportunity now and in the future to serve as a model of rational discourse undertaken with kindness and civility.
With warmth and respect, John Kroger