Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Dear MECA&D community,
Last week, I joined other leaders in the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) community—a non-profit consortium of the leading arts and design schools in the US and Canada—to express my deep concern for the more than 20 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) targeted with bomb threats between January 31 and February 1.
These threats were timed to coincide with Black History Month. The immediate disruption and lasting psychological impact of this bigotry and intimidation are both hateful and harmful.
For our MECA&D community, this is an unfortunate reminder of all the work still ahead to develop a culture of social change, racial justice, and equity. Standing in solidarity with historically Black institutions is not enough. It is important to continue to actively acknowledge our inherent biases and privileges, challenge the structural, systemic, and historic divisions that plague us, and put in the work needed to make everyone in our community feel safe, secure, and welcome.
As we pause at this time to reflect, one action we can all take together is to actively participate in MECA&D’s third annual Resilience Week (March 11-18). I hope that the conversations thoughtfully planned by a talented team of MECA&D students, alumni, faculty, and staff will provide a space and opportunity for us to more fully discuss what we can do to support representation and justice. Participation is one very important way for us all to collaborate more, help cultivate artists who are agents of change, and connect our community to the world in meaningful ways.
Sincerely,
Laura Freid
President