Recent reports from the news media have described a tragic COVID-19 crisis unfolding throughout India, one involving human suffering and pain both within the country itself as well as with victims’ family members and friends around the world. This includes a significant population of Asian Indian internationals and Asian Indian Americans who are a part of the SJSU community.
Category Archives: Diversity
Reflections on the Chauvin trial verdict
Many of us have just heard the news about the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Though we have waited anxiously for a significant jury verdict many times before, today’s outcome was different. In this trial and for each count, Derek Chauvin was found guilty. For many of us, this moment is a relief but also bittersweet.
Recent shootings in Chicago, Indianapolis and Minneapolis
I write today to express sadness and pain over the recent shootings of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo by members of law enforcement near Minneapolis and Chicago, as well as the mass shooting in Indianapolis that killed eight people, several of whom are members of the Sikh community.
My own “legacy of poetry” and its enduring significance
With SJSU’s week-long Legacy of Poetry 2021 celebration kicking off next week, I recently began to reflect on my own deep affection for poetry and its relevance in today’s world. Many readers will know instinctively why I enjoy engaging on this subject. My academic studies focused on the well-known poets of the late 16th and early 17th century Renaissance era, and my love and appreciation for those poets and their works since I first was introduced to them as a college student many years ago has never diminished.
Latest updates on our efforts to address systemic racism at SJSU
Many of us are reeling and distraught, and others are also on edge as the trial involving the killing of George Floyd continues to unfold. In this context, and as I noted in a December 2020 message, we are committed to developing tangible, actionable plans on issues surrounding systemic racism. Today, I write to offer an update on the efforts and actions we have taken at SJSU to address anti-Black systemic racism on our campus.