SGA’s Joint Call for Solidarity with the GT Community

A Letter from Undergraduate and Graduate SGA

Fellow Yellow Jackets,

In light of the recent protests over the tragic loss of far too many Black lives, we join in solidarity with those calling for justice. At this pivotal moment, we cannot remain silent because our silence would make us complicit in the violence and oppression aimed at Black communities. We want to assure you that the Georgia Tech Student Government Association believes that Black lives matter and that we hold the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery in our thoughts and prayers. These most recent incidents have represented an all-out assault on the Black community and illustrate that our justice system is fundamentally broken. So many members of our community, particularly those in the Black community, have been traumatized, angered, and saddened by the manifestation of systemic racism seen in these events. We hear and share your pain. We urge you to continue to exercise your rights, remain civically engaged, and take care of your emotional and mental health during this time. SGA has created a guidebook (attached below)  with some of these resources. We want you to know that we stand with you and will continue to utilize our roles to ensure that Georgia Tech upholds equity as we move forward.

Over the past few days, the Student Government Association has been reaching out to Black student leaders and other stakeholders across campus to first listen, and secondly, develop a plan to move forward, address the concerns raised by the student body, and advocate for meaningful reforms. This topic is important — you are important — and because we wanted to provide substantive updates and resources for students, we recognize that our response has not been as quick as we would have preferred. To create a campus culture centered on equity and inclusion, we must dedicate the necessary time to focus on solutions not just for the short term but for the incoming generations of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. While we continue to develop a comprehensive plan, we have identified and are pursuing steps to ensure that we protect each and every Georgia Tech student. We need your feedback to help us do so.

Our next steps:

• Cabinet members from both the Undergraduate and Graduate SGA are meeting with senior leadership and training officers from the Georgia Tech Police Department to thoroughly review department policies and officer training protocols, address student concerns of implicit bias and use of force, and set the foundation for continued student input on this topic. 
• Joint SGA leadership is meeting with Dr. Archie Ervin, Vice President of Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Georgia Tech. As part of this meeting, we will relay student sentiment and concerns to establish additional ways Georgia Tech can foster equity and inclusion for minority groups of students. 
• Student leaders and members of Georgia Tech’s Black Student Organizations will be invited to meet with SGA leadership to formally express their views and work with SGA on initiatives moving forward. 
• Joint SGA cabinets will work with the Office of Minority Educational Development (OMED) to expand and communicate resources and support for minority students during this time. 

To help guide SGA in our efforts to advocate for you, we encourage you to click here to answer the following question: “What would help you feel safer as a member of the Georgia Tech community?” Your responses will help us better understand what our next steps should be to thoroughly address the concerns of the student body. Thank you in advance for your open and honest responses. 

While we continue to reach out to stakeholders across Georgia Tech’s campus, we have compiled a comprehensive list of resources available to students in Atlanta and across the nation. As we navigate these difficult times together, please view these resources and if you know of additional resources and would like to share with others, please email us and we will add them to the page.

We are here for you, now and always. As an organization, we remain committed to standing up for your voices, especially those in our historically underserved and marginalized populations, and ensuring that each and every Georgia Tech student has the opportunity to succeed. If we can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at sga@gatech.edu. To learn more about our response and access to additional resources, click here to see our news update.

From the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Government Association Executive Cabinets,

In Progress and Service,

Brielle Lonsberry, Undergraduate Student Body President
Kyle Smith, Undergraduate Executive Vice President
Lea Harris, Graduate Student Body President
Jay McKinney, Graduate Executive Vice President

Available Resources

Feedback

To help guide SGA in our efforts to advocate for you, we encourage you to click below to answer the following question: “What would help you feel safer as a member of the Georgia Tech community?” Your responses will help us better understand what our next steps should be to thoroughly address the concerns of the student body.

Steps Moving Forward