In this time of national turmoil and division, I wish to reaffirm John Jay College’s commitment to building and sustaining just societies through fostering an inclusive and diverse community. We stand against speech and behaviors that offend, threaten, or insult anyone on the basis of religion, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or citizenship.  John Jay is committed to the cause of justice.  This mission carries weighty obligations now.  We must continue to find ways to enact our commitment to all the dimensions of justice that are found on the walls of our college and play out in our classrooms, research centers, student activities, curricular offerings, research projects, art exhibitions and public statements – racial justice, gender justice, environmental justice, international justice, criminal justice, social justice, economic justice, and others.  No other institution can claim this commitment to justice, broadly defined. For that reason, John Jay has a special obligation to dig deep, reaffirm our core values, and respond vigorously to safeguard those values in our community.