The Ignatian Center stands in solidarity with those fighting for an end to racial injustice and stands against racism, inequality, injustice, and white supremacy in the United States and around the world. In particular, we stand in solidarity with black students, faculty, staff, and community partners of Santa Clara University who continue to suffer from a system of racism that perpetuates white privilege.

In our charge to provide leadership for the integration of faith, justice, and the intellectual life, our team commits to create further opportunities for the SCU community to develop the skills and experience to fight against racial injustice. We commit to determining specific actions we can take in this effort and will provide an update in the near future.

We are animated by the words of our President, Fr. Kevin O’Brien:  "Any harm or hurt to one of us impacts another for we are one body, to use an image from Scripture. We are all children of God, which makes us brothers and sisters, a family. The differences in our family – our diversity – is blessed, and a sure sign of God’s creativity. But when racism and other forms of bigotry create divisions and separations among us, that is sin, a tearing apart of the body – the most extreme form of which is the violent taking of life, in this case, Black lives. And Black lives do matter."

We invite those looking to be a part of these efforts to review the resources and recommended actions compiled by SCU’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion. 

In his Pentecost Message on Justice, Fr. Scott Santarosa, S.J said, "I hope we can be embarrassed and ashamed of ways we perpetuate injustice. I hope we feel rage at the atrocities against George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and at other atrocities against our African American brothers and sisters that were overlooked or forgotten or unreported or unrecorded. I hope that we might double down on our commitment to the Universal Apostolic Preferences, to “walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice."

Spurred by Fr. Santarosa’s challenge and invitation, we as the Ignatian Center staff regret the ways in which we perpetuate injustice and we strive to double down on our commitment to the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus in a mission of reconciliation and justice in helping build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. 

The Ignatian Center Staff