 Like many of you, we have been so troubled by recent events in our nation. Our hearts break for the fact that people of color everywhere continue to be subjected to racism, bigotry, prejudice, and fear. This behavior goes against our core values of fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. As an educational institution, we have a responsibility to our students, employees, and community to be a part of the solution. We are committed to partnering with others throughout the Wisconsin Technical College System to facilitate meaningful social change. We recognize there is significant work to be done in this area. Yet, together, there are things we can do to stop racism and hate. All people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Words like civil unrest, black lives matter, we back the badge, racial injustice, social injustice, blue lives matter, or militia police. All of those words are becoming way too familiar with all of us, especially for us right here in Kenosha, Wisconsin. You know, our Kenosha campus is only blocks away from where Jacob Lake was shot by a police officer, causing major civil unrest, not only in Kenosha, but across the nation. You've seen the images burned out buildings. We're challenged now in our community to have deep conversations around what it means to respect and honor all citizens. Gateway Technical College believes in and supports the Working as One platform. It allows us a voice to learn more about our community, to learn more about each other, and find ways to put action steps in place so that we can become a part of a stronger and more resilient community. It only happens through voice, through your words and your actions. Working as one means that we stand in a united front against discrimination and racism of every form. We must band together in our efforts to acknowledge bias, to leave assumptions at the door, and to support our community and each other in a meaningful way. By identifying and seeking to understand how the various social identities, such as race, gender, sexuality, and class contribute to systemic oppression and discrimination, is important work. Work that we must join effort in. I believe that each person brings value and this is our opportunity to reduce barriers and increase opportunities so each can provide the value freely for the betterment of society. I challenge you to discover the power we share when we work as one to better understand this concept as we create inclusive spaces that assure everyone, students, faculty, and staff that their stories matter, that they are welcome, and that we are committed to their success.