As a school, and as a united team of educators, we feel it important to communicate with our students, our parents, and our community at large a depth of emotion touched by the past week.

 

Across the country, people are horrified by the recent killing of George Floyd. We share that outrage; the displayed behavior reflects the utter dehumanization of black life. Our hearts are heavy as we experience the pain and loss happening across our country. 

 

We condemn racism, bigotry, and violence in all its forms. We believe that all people are created equal and in the image of God. The Pacifica community is devoted to the flourishing of every human being. We believe in the power of the written word, the power of the spoken word, and in the power of prayer. We will continue to write about, speak about, and pray about what is true, beautiful, and good. Through the example of our Lord Jesus we don’t avoid pain, but face it head-on, together with our brothers and sisters in the black community and for the good of our community as a whole.

 

The truth surrounding the death of George Floyd is painful and tragic. We must never let the indifference to human suffering become our own.  We must never deaden our hearts to the pain of others.  Scripture is clear about the call to love our neighbor and to care about justice and oppression.  Wherever evil and hatred exist we are called to stand against it, to root it out, and to live lives that reflect goodness, mercy, and justice. 

 

 

Micah 6:8 instructs us on our call: 

 

 

With God’s help, we are committed to justice and mercy.

 

 

At Pacifica, we recognize that we as a people are not finished yet and that we can do better.  As leaders, we recommit ourselves to the gospel that acknowledges the dignity of all life and the call to a profound, radical love of others. In this time, we commit ourselves to stand together shoulder to shoulder with those in the black community who experience racism and oppression. We commit ourselves to condemn violence and hatred.

 

In the days, weeks, and months ahead we will seek to provide ways to acknowledge the pain and suffering in our community.  In the side column of this email are references we share as means of tangible support when there seem to be no satisfactory answers; if you too have resources you find meaningful, please share them with us.

 

 

Our staff is charged with teaching our students to engage in dialog deep within topics which are often divisive inside society at large.  Parents and students, we urge you to speak about the recent events; know that our young people are shareholders in the solutions our society needs. Pacifica students are learning how to be stewards of ideals and of respect, and we hope that we- and they- can strive to be models of that approach in a broken world.

 

Peaceful protest helps highlight injustice and is one of the core values of our society.  However, once these protests fade, it is critical that we build upon this moment and advocate for long term, bi-partisan solutions that can make a difference.  Our fear is that we let this moment escape us, and we will simply stand still. 

 

We resolve to not let this moment pass in vain but to stand firm together in the fight for justice and racial equality- as a staff and as the Pacifica community. Despite our continued separation by this viral epidemic, may we be reminded of what binds us together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Knight, Head of School        

                

Michael Balsley, Associate Head of Advancement    

 

Wally Hirsch, Associate Head of Academics

 

Jackie Pasche, Director of Admissions    

 

Susan Springer Anderson, Director of the Arts             

 

                     

Jonathan Sims, Student Life Coordinator