With everything that’s happening in America right now, students are collectively facing the trauma of a pandemic AND a social uprising. Black students are ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE as they are at the center of the protests. Many students are protesting, donating, and doing what they can to support the Black Lives Matter movement. There is no curfew in Davis but most students ARE NOT IN DAVIS. Most students went home to cities like Oakland, LA, San Francisco, etc. where there ARE curfews in place. Even if students are not participating in protests, they can hear rubber bullets and tear gas bombs outside their windows. Sirens are constantly on. The free press is being assaulted. The country is in a state of unrest, fear, and anxiety. 

We have been in school through the height of the pandemic, and now we are in Week 10. We have shown you our abilities in the past 9 weeks. School administrators and professors—PLEASE consider being for flexible with homework, essays, and finals at this time. While we are all undoubtedly affected, black students are THE MOST affected. Offering counseling and showing solidarity is not enough. Please reconsider how we should end this quarter. At the very least, please be more flexible with our black student population.