Dear Students,
I write to you today with shock and revulsion at the violence that occurred in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Protest and social mobilization are central to the vitality of our democracy; the kind of violent protest and its cynical celebration that we witnessed yesterday demand our condemnation. They also remind us of the necessity to seek truth and to work hard to improve the world around us through policy change, accountability, and honest debate based on facts and evidence. As students of public affairs, it is always incumbent upon us to understand the roots of this violence and the ways to prevent it in the future. Your work at Madison has never been more important.
Thank you,
Linda Racioppi
Interim Dean
James Madison College
Michigan State University
In response to the unprecedented violence at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., and the Board of Trustees issued a joint statement. Read the statement here.