Mourning Daunte Wright

The following message was shared with all members of our campus community via email on April 16.

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Dear SUNY New Paltz Students, Faculty and Staff:

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the death of Daunte Wright. He was killed in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota following a traffic stop. Encounters between police and citizens, especially police encounters within Black communities, are at the center of a social justice and political reckoning not seen since the Civil Rights era. We hope for comfort and peace for the Wright family, and his larger community.

Sadly, Mr. Wright’s death takes its place in a tragic national history and many within our community continue to navigate the cumulative trauma of these events. The trial of Officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd continues, and whatever the outcome, individuals and communities will look for reconciliation, healing and maintaining a movement of future action.

Please take a moment and check-in with students and colleagues. When we offer to listen, we don’t have to have a solution or even a response. We can create the condition where someone feels they can show up without explanation or justification.

The University of Minnesota offers some resources on how to support a campus community through these events. You can also contact the Diversity & Inclusion Council at DandICouncil@newpaltz.edu if you have questions on supporting community members. If you are a student who needs support, please contact Psychological Counseling Center at 845-257-2920. If you are an employee who needs support, please contact our EAP coordinators at EAP Coordinators at degnanl@newpaltz.edu or segalla@newpaltz.edu.

Sincerely,

Tanhena Pacheco Dunn, Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion