Dear Salem Community:

Today, I wish to lend my voice to the conversations surrounding the heartbreaking events that are occurring in our nation, the latest of which is the death of George Floyd. This is a sad reminder that there is still much work to be done.

As we embark upon our 250th anniversary, celebrating being the first and oldest women’s institution in America, an institution that is proud to have been in existence before there was even a United States of America, we see much has changed, yet I am horribly struck by how much has remained the same. The recent events in our nation highlight, once again, the systemic racial inequality and injustice that prevent us from living up to our highest ideals. As an institution, Salem has also grappled with her racial past and how that past called us to acknowledge that role in our history and challenged us all to see the experience and value of others.

Salem remains, as one of our core values, unapologetically committed to honoring equity, diversity, and inclusion and to the ongoing work of dismantling systems of racism and oppression. We embrace each individual for the value of their experiences that add to the Salem community and the expanded community our students and alumni strive to positively impact every day.

The coronavirus crisis impedes our ability to connect with one another in ways that we desperately need at this moment. We are available to support you in any way we can.

Salem will be relentless in our commitment to addressing the systemic inequalities and injustices in our society. We will be here, working together over the coming months and years, for however long it takes, to create a more just world, a world that will make us all proud. We, and society as a whole, deserve that reality.

Ever Salem,

Sandra J. Doran
President