The sincerest thing I can share with each of you is that Carolina is not prepared. Carolina is not prepared for the “reckoning” of which it continues to speak and it is certainly not prepared to face the reality of having to undo the entire system upon which it was built—and rebuild.
Until this rebirth occurs, Carolina is not deserving of your talents, aspirations, or successes. If you are a student, staff member, or academic from a historically marginalized identity exploring UNC, I invite you to look elsewhere. If you are considering graduate school, law school, medical school, or other professional programs at UNC, I challenge you to seek other options. While Carolina desperately needs your representation and cultural contributions, it will only bring you here to tokenize and exploit you. And to those that will attempt to misconstrue these words—my words—understand this: I love Carolina, yes, but I love my people and my community more.
And so in the days ahead, I invite and encourage you to pay close attention not only to who speaks—but who fails to speak. Pay close attention to how many times our university responds with an acknowledgment of uncertain and unparalleled times, asking how students “feel” and what it can “do” for students, before making decision and taking stances that are in direct opposition to student views, suggestions, and interests.
Most importantly, examine how Carolina shifts blame to other entities; then, analyze closely what decisions are made or are not made by our university and question why. The soul of our university is at stake—and Carolina is not prepared.
I urge you all: protect yourself. Protect your peace. Protect your wellness—and brace for reckoning.
Yours for Carolina—today, tomorrow, and always,
Lamar Gregory Richards
Student Body President
Trustee, UNC-CH Board of Trustees