A Letter From The President
 "A
Call to Action Against Racism"
“I can’t breathe”. These were the last words of George Floyd, a 46-year-old man, son, brother, and father who was murdered on May 25, 2020 while in police custody. His death lit a gasoline-soaked nation on fire—a nation smeared with the blood of Sean Reed,
Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Botham Jean, Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, and countless others also killed by the police. Through these blatant demonstrations of disregard for black
lives, which often go unpunished, we are continuously shown that black lives do not matter.
George Floyd’s death struck the soul of protesters from all walks of life in every state in the nation, as well as countries around the world. The call to action is clear: systemic reforms are necessary to combat the violence and racism black people experience
at the hands of police, who are meant to protect and serve. AAACE joins this movement with the call that “Enough is Enough” and “Change Must Come”. We stand for radical and systemic change in all sectors of society so that the trauma and pain Black people
have endured and continue to endure can subside, allowing us to be equal members of American society.
We understand our country must heal and will do our part through our scholarship, advocacy, and practice to root out systemic racism and injustice. With Covid-19 as the backdrop, the nation is searching within itself to bring about change and justice to those
who have gone without it for so long. We must strengthen our armor and continue the work that we as adult educators have done since the beginning of our profession. We stand for social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We profess, Black Lives Matter!
Mary V. Alfred, Ph.D
President, AAACE
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