The University of Washington has sent out a mass email to students about the current events involving Black Lives Matter. The email addresses the most recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor and how UW acknowledges the deep-seated pain and extra trauma this has caused us in the Black community. It goes on to say "many of us were already struggling to deal with the shift to emergency remote learning, financial hardships, family health issues, and the emotional strain related to the pandemic" then ends by saying "We have no answers in this message". 

Well, we have one for you: give Black students a break! We are already DISPROPORTIONATELY impacted by this pandemic in terms of health care access and financial hardship. Now add state-sanctioned violence, how do you expect us to enter finals in this headspace?!

We are tired of empty words and promises. We are tired of sentimental emails that do not materialize. Give us equitable responses that meet our needs now! You need to encourage and demand professors to accommodate their black students during this time. If UW truly understands our pain, UW will be a part of alleviating it. 

We can't sit back and watch as injustices unfold before our eyes. We don't have the privilege that white and non-black students do to ignore what's happening and stay at home to study for finals. We are busy fighting for our rights and for the rights of future black children and students to sit down and study. The least UW could do is demand professors to accommodate us during this time.