First, I want to acknowledge the precious lives lost on Saturday in Buffalo—our New York State brethren who were targeted solely on the basis of their skin color while they were trying to do the most essential of life’s routine—getting food for their families. White supremacy is indeed our country’s original sin, and rather than seeing it extinguished, we are witnessing it seeping into mainstream society and poisoning minds against Black communities and all communities of color. It is my personal mission, and the mission of this institution, to fight back and ensure that our collective future is fair and just, and a celebration of the diversity and distinction that we each bring to the American experience.