Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks sent this message to the campus community on Friday, Dec. 12:
Dear students, faculty and staff,
Below you will find a holiday video greeting with reflections about the semester just completed, and what lies ahead:
I also want to share some thoughts on the events of recent days.
I have great respect for Berkeley students, faculty, staff and alumni who are giving voice to the urgent call for racial equality and social justice and doing so in a non-violent manner. The Free Speech Movement was born of the civil rights struggle, and it is appropriate that our campus continue to be a beacon of hope for all individuals and communities who suffer from prejudice and discrimination.
Now, more than ever, we must redouble our efforts to foster a welcoming and inclusive campus that can serve as a model for the world around us. Now, more than ever, we must work together to break down the walls that divide, while shoring up the ties that bind us together. Now, more than ever, we must embrace our calling as an educational institution that instills our fundamental commitments and values in our teaching, our research and our public mission.
I wish all of you a safe, happy and healthy New Year.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Dirks
Chancellor