June 11, 2020

The Reilly Center team supports the Black community and believes that #BlackLivesMatter.

The events of the past few weeks, including the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, as well as the continued actions over the course of history, have highlighted the continued racism that seeps through every thread of the United States. Here at the Reilly Center, equity and inclusion are central tenets of our mission of inspiring communities to think deeply, develop solutions and take action.

As such, we must understand the ways biased social structures lead to ongoing violence against people from historically oppressed communities. Beginning in August, we will host a yearlong series on racism in America, which will feature local and national thought leaders on issues ranging from the history of racism and the social construction of race in the United States to the far-ranging impacts of institutional racism. This series is just one example of the integral role the Reilly Center plays in strengthening and advancing the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s commitment to combating racism and systemic oppression.

We understand the importance of community participation in these matters and therefore encourage your suggestions regarding the series using this form: https://bit.ly/30qjyo1.