Message from Undergraduate Admission
June 4, 2020 | A Statement of Solidarity
The William & Mary Undergraduate Admission Office stands with students and others protesting the unjust killing of Black Americans by police officers.
We recognize and understand the university's long and inhumane involvement in the slavery, oppression, and persecution of the Black community. We are proud of recent efforts at William & Mary such as the Lemon Project, that honor and memorialize the role of enslaved Black people on our campus and in our community, and we understand that there is still much more work to be done.
It is only through the learning and understanding of other perspectives that our campus community continues to grow. As representatives of higher education, it is our duty to condemn and confront racism. Not only must we renounce racism and prejudice in the justice system but in the education system as well. Commitment to equitable admission practices is fundamental to the work of each individual in our office. Our application provides students the opportunity to share their story and who they are. We understand that for many of our students, this means sharing various components of their identity such as race, socioeconomic status, gender expression, sexual orientation, and ability. We want you to know that when we read your stories, we see these intersectionalities, and we work to understand how they have impacted your education and how we can help create equity in spaces devoted to higher education, based on these identities.
College admission, when done purposefully, can be one of the ways to ensure greater equity and expand access to opportunity. We cannot call our review process holistic and contextual if we do not recognize the context and impact behind the systemic and social barriers for students of color, including racism.
To you student activists, should you decide to apply to William & Mary, we value your voices here. Most importantly, please know that for those of you hurting right now, sharing your stories on social media and in protests, we hear you and we stand with you.
