“Walk the Walk” is more than a week to recognize Notre Dame’s efforts to be a welcoming and inclusive campus — it’s an invitation to each of us to make it moreso.
Since last year’s Walk the Walk Week, racial injustice, disparity and tension in the U.S. has become more visible than in 50 years. The May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, led to protests across the country. Floyd’s death moved members of the University community, too, as demonstrated through the “Prayer for Unity, Walk for Justice” and "The Rally”, but also through expressions of frustration, meaningful dialogue and commitments to improvement.
In September, the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD), in collaboration with Black students and through suggestions from faculty, staff and alumni, released its report, Equity in Policing. The report acknowledges past problems and commits to a comprehensive series of initiatives to create a more fair, impartial, diverse and just organization, highly trained and dedicated to protecting and serving all members of the University community.
That month, three members of the Notre Dame community — Keri Kei Shibata, chief of the NDPD; Mike Seamon, vice president for Campus Safety and University Operations; and senior Matty Aubourg, a member of the Black Student Association of Notre Dame — sat down for a Notre Dame Stories podcast with host Andy Fuller to discuss race and policing.
Their discussion embodies “Walk the Walk.”
(LISTEN)
Originally published by at ndworks.nd.edu on February 23, 2021.