Published: April 8, 2021

The Program in Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder mourns the horrific killing of eight people in Atlanta on Wednesday, March 16, 2021, including six Asian and Asian American women. We recognize these murders both as unspeakable tragedies for the victims and their families, and as highlighting the anti-Asian racism, violence, and harassment that has risen so sharply over the course of the past year. As this event so painfully shows, Asian American women sit at the intersection of many marginalized and oppressed identities in the United States, and we condemn the racism, misogyny, and white supremacy that continue to plague our society and claim so many lives. We also echo calls from partner units at CU Boulder such as the Departments of Women and Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies, and the university more broadly, to build coalitions and take action to create more just and equitable spaces in higher education and our society. As an academic program, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that our teaching, scholarship, and public programming are shaped by the struggle against systemic, institutional racism in our society, and we stand in solidarity with all individuals and communities confronting this violence.