David Ruebain, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion

David Ruebain, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion sent the following message to the University of Sussex community:

Many of you will have read of the awful shootings of 13 people, 11 of whom are black and 10 of whom were killed, by a white racist gunman in Buffalo, New York, USA on Saturday.  There are of course many terrible incidents that occur and in this one we once again see the most egregious manifestation of racism and hate.  We cannot fail to acknowledge its impact on us all, especially those experiencing racism.  Moreover, whilst the responsibility for this horror lies with the gunman, the wider ecology of systemic and structural racism, alongside racist narratives which continue to circulate, will have provided the background.  Such structures and systems are pervasive and I want to take this opportunity to restate that as a community we remain committed to tackling them, howsoever they manifest.

Please read our Antiracist Pledge.