Message from President Wong: Coming together against hate

Dear SF State community,

I have been reflecting on the spring semester at SF State and bias incidents reported by and among members of our community. Recently, posters, leaflets and stickers, which belong to and are used by known white supremacists and hate groups, continue to appear on campus. The latest episode is aimed at our Jewish students, faculty and staff.

I want to be clear: anti-Semitic attacks are not just a crime against members of our Jewish community. They are an assault on our democratic values and an offense against everyone who stands for justice. Individual geo-political or religious views do not establish a right to harass individuals on campus.

A hallmark of the San Francisco State community is our unwavering commitment to social justice. I urge you to join me in ensuring our Jewish students, faculty, staff, and neighbors have the full support of our community, especially in these difficult times. No person in our community should feel disrespected or unsafe, and we must all work together to ensure this is not the case.

I condemn all forms of anti-Semitism, and I call on each of our community members to carry a heightened sense of awareness to prevent further occurrences. This means each of us must be vigilant and report, as soon as possible, any concerns to University Police.

I am committed to making San Francisco State a better, safer place for our Jewish community members and will continue to communicate our progress toward this important goal.

Les Wong
President