Dear Arcadia Community,

Today, we commemorate the legacy of a Civil Rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I am glad that our celebration is not limited to a day of service, but instead extends through next Tuesday. Just as our programming is not limited to today, we must maintain our commitment to our justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work every day.

We hope that you can participate in or engage with our programming and events. The theme of our celebration this year is “Where do we go from here? Chaos or community.” That comes from a question Dr. King posed more than 50 years ago, and that question is still as relevant — or even more relevant — today. 

Where do we want to go from here? Where will our JEDI and ABRI efforts take us? How will we pave the way for our students to lead us? I look forward to continuing our commitment to exploring these questions with you on our journey to become a reflection of the world in which we want to live. 

Despite the challenges we have faced as a community, we have demonstrated our resilience. We have been strengthened by the teachings of Dr. King, and we have embraced his dreams through our work to become a more just community. Indeed, we are a work in progress, but I am confident that the strength of our community and our convictions will continue to allow us to rise to the occasion.

Justice. Equity. Diversity. Inclusion. Dr. King stood for, advocated for, and even died for these ideals. We have a responsibility, an obligation, to live up to them. That is the truest way to honor his vision and his legacy. 

Let these ideals remain at the forefront of our minds and our ambition through this semester and beyond. 

Sincerely,

Ajay Nair, Ph.D.
President