Felician students in need of support in moments of difficulty should contact the Dean of Student Affairs Janel Owens at owensj@felician.edu, or access Felician Student Counseling Services here.

Once again, we as a nation find ourselves gripped in the tense aftermath of a senseless violent tragedy as we try to comprehend the beating death of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers. The quick and decisive action by the Memphis Police Chief, prosecutors, and other city officials is to be applauded. It is a welcomed difference from what has transpired on occasions in the past. However, even this demand for accountability, as valuable as it is, will not return Mr. Nichols to his family. Another family grieves, a community grieves, a nation grieves – again. These former Memphis police officers will face their day in court and a jury of their peers will render an appropriate verdict, but as important as it is for the wheels of justice to turn without delay, the larger question is how does this cycle of violence stop?

As we view the horrific video and think of the inhumanity of the actions depicted, we must be mindful of our own actions and words. The message we choose to send by our deeds and comments will either heal or aggravate. As members of the Felician University community we must make the right choice and remain grounded in the values and beliefs that empower us with greater confidence toward actionable good. The tenets of respect for human dignity, compassion, and justice and peace, are not just words. These are the commands that reflect who we are, how we respond in times of distress, and are the tools given for us, one community at a time, to be part of the solution to end the cycle.

I recognize the grave injustice we have seen in this matter stirs emotions. It is what one does with those emotions that matters. Wrap your arms around each other and stay in relationship. If you feel alienated or overwhelmed by this or any situation you are experiencing, reach out. Stay connected to your professors, classmates, colleagues, family, and friends. I repeat, for available support, contact the Dean of Student Affairs Janel Owens at owensj@felician.edu, or access Felician Student Counseling Services here.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose iconic speeches preached nonviolence, tells us the path we must take, “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate…Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Be disciples of this message, model it in your daily life, be a catalyst for good and others will follow.