NYU Silver Dean Dr. Michael A. Lindsey made the following statement after the brutal death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers.
Like many across this nation, we at the NYU Silver School of Social Work were sickened and outraged to learn about the agonizing, final minutes of the life of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police.
The violence and disregard for human life that we saw in the videos is shocking, but also is all too common in Black and brown communities. Systemic reasons, including the over-surveillance of Black and Brown bodies, play a huge role in the perpetuation of cycles of violence and oppression. This is concerning no matter what the color is of the person who is responsible for the violence.
Amid our reaction to a horrific example of a systemic issue, we cannot lose sight of the fact that we lost an individual who was loved within his Memphis community. Our condolences go out to Mr. Nichols’ loved ones and all of those who have been touched by this tragedy.
We also recognize the collective trauma that has been experienced by many people nationwide who saw or heard the news coverage and videos relating to Mr. Nichols’ death. People will react to this trauma in a variety of ways, and we encourage you to engage in self-care, check in with each other and make use of mental health resources that are available in your community as you cope with how you feel. Self-care may also involve not wanting to view videos or news coverage, and that is okay.
Still, NYU Silver stands in solidarity for those who wish to express their opposition to violence anywhere through peaceful protest and collective action. We also urge law enforcement and policymakers to move forward with efforts to reform systems of continuous oppression, so that nothing like the death of Mr. Nichols and countless others over the years will happen again.
