Wellesley Superintendent Speaks On George Floyd Death

WELLESLEY, MA — Wellesley Public Schools Superintendent David Lussier joined a choir of officials across the country to express solidarity with communities of color in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Floyd was the Minneapolis man whose death was caught on video, as a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. The viral video has sparked protests and a call for change and an end to police brutality throughout the country.

In his letter to the community, Lussier highlighted his own white privilege and how it affords him safety and advantages that communities of color in town don't have.

"I know that I can leave my house right now and feel no anxiety that my skin color might put my life in jeopardy," Lussier said, "They (people of color) don’t have the luxury to compartmentalize their reactions from their daily routines."

Lussier stressed that the community must come together to denounce racism and hate and support people of color in the community.

We are a school district that prides itself on a set of core values to which we strive to adhere every day. These values are largely grounded in how we treat one another. It is in this spirit that I have to acknowledge that our communities of color are experiencing a great deal of pain right now. And as members of our broader school community, it is important that we speak with one voice to both object to the attitudes and actions behind these recent events and to stand in support our families and colleagues who are uniquely impacted by them. That’s what One Wellesley is all about," Lussier said.