May 31, 2020
Dear student-athletes,
I hope this email finds you and your families in good health. While the coronavirus pandemic has forced us to be physically distant from one another, away from the Hilltop, you continue to be Hoya student-athletes who we care deeply about. Earlier today, President DeGioia sent this message to our Georgetown community.
Like so many of you, I am pained by recent incidents that have reminded us that discrimination and injustice continue to affect our society. I have personally lived a life affected by these same issues and understand the fear, anger and uncertainty that our African American student-athletes, coaches and staff are feeling at this time. As we strive to make our community diverse and inclusive, the recent deaths in Georgia, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, as well as other incidents of prejudice, are tragic and threatening to all of us.
The incidents reported are in stark contrast with our university and departmental core value as an inclusive community, which is why I wanted to reach out and offer support. As an athletic director, I have dedicated my career to creating an environment in which student-athletes, coaches, and staff members have opportunities to flourish through athletics. I stand with each of you during this time, and we will continue to support you in any way we can.
While words are important and necessary, the real work of creating a sense of community within Georgetown Athletics where we all feel a sense of belonging, falls on all of us, every day and wherever we may be. We need now more than ever before to make ourselves available to one another for frank conversations so that we all better understand the pain being expressed throughout our nation right now
While I am personally working through all of this, and thinking about each of you away from campus at this time, I assure you that our entire staff is dedicated to being here for you right now.
Please stay safe,
Lee Reed
Director of Athletics
Georgetown University
