Over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Calvin College President Michael Le Roy and Calvin Theological Seminary President Jul Medenblik shared a joint letter to students, staff, and faculty emphasizing the school's stance in regards to "racist and hateful remarks and sentiments."
The letter was also shared to the school's Facebook page. In it, Le Roy and Medenblik wrote:
... we are deeply troubled and offended by the disparaging comments attributed to the President of the United States in recent days about people who come from Africa, Haiti, and Latin America. These comments sow fear and hatred in our country, and they are wrong. More than 150 members of our community come from these countries, and they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
This response is in no way political. It is in every way biblical. As members of the Calvin community, it is our Christian duty and responsibility to separate ourselves from racist and hateful remarks and sentiments. The world cannot be confused about what we believe.
The letter comes in the wake of President Trump's comments calling Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries "shithole countries" during a bipartisan immigration reform meeting in the White House.
Calvin College found itself in the spotlight during the contentious confirmation and eventual appointment of Calvin alum Betsy DeVos as secretary for the Department of Education. While long quietly politically engaged, many at the school — students, faculty, and administration alike — have taken on a noticeably more public stance toward actions from the Trump administration.
Read the full letter here.
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