Remembering Dr. Saundra Herndon Oyewole
October 5, 2025
(Dr. Saundra Herndon Oyewole)
A brilliant mind, a beautiful soul — how else to describe our beloved Trinity teacher, colleague and friend? Dr. Saundra Herndon Oyewole exuded class and charm, but never with haughty airs or boastful chatter. She was always a thoughtful, gracious and kind presence for all who knew her.
Dr. Oyewole, who died on September 26, was deeply devoted to her family as well as her students and fellow faculty members at Trinity. I first met her when I became Trinity’s president in 1989. After a stint at Hampshire College, Dr. Oyewole had joined Trinity’s Biology faculty in 1981, soon earning tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, and I was pleased to appoint her to the then-new position of Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Biology. When Saundra’s dear husband Godwin came to visit, we swapped stories of our experiences at Georgetown Law Center. And I always enjoyed seeing their children Tunde, Kolade and Aramide when they visited their mom at Trinity. Saundra and Godwin were both graduates of the University of Massachusetts Ph.D. program (Saundra in Microbiology, Godwin in Communication). In her earlier education, Dr. Oyewole earned her B.S. at Howard University and master’s degree at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Oyewole was not one to promote her roles and status as “first,” but it is important to note that she was Trinity’s first tenured Black faculty member and full professor, and later, the first Black dean and highest ranking African American at Trinity. She was a quiet but persistent trail blazer whose legacy lives on in Trinity’s remarkable science faculty today.
As Trinity evolved through the 1990s and 2000’s, I was pleased to appoint Dr. Oyewole as Dean of the Faculty, and later Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. A tireless advocate for increasing diversity in the medical profession, Dr. Oyewole held leadership positions including serving as president of the National Association of Advisors to the Health Professions, and she was active with the Association for Women in the Sciences. She also spent a two-year sabbatical with the National Science Foundation as Program Director for Undergraduate Education. Closer to home, Dr. Oyewole was a faculty leader as she chaired Biology as well as the Rank & Tenure Committee, and served a term as president of Trinity’ Epsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
Upon her retirement in 2013, Dr. Oyewole received many accolades from her students, alumnae and faculty colleagues, hailed by all as a wonderful role model and great exemplar of Trinity’s highest values in scholarship, intellectual excellence and integrity.
We offer our condolences to her children and family, and we assure them that Dr. Oyewole’s legacy lives well in the excellent work of today’s Biology program.
Continue reading →Read comments (1) Add CommentSolidarity with Immigrants, a Social Justice Imperative
October 1, 2025
Hyattsville is a lovely residential community just across the northeast DC line where Michigan Avenue becomes Queens Chapel Road. I’ve lived here for 35 years with wonderful neighbors of all races and ethnicities, shopping at the local stores and dining at the local restaurants, enjoying peaceful tree-lined streets and carefully maintained bungalows along with some garden apartments, small businesses, and schools.
So I was horrified as I scrolled on Twitter (ok, X) last week to see a video of mayhem at a very familiar neighborhood location, the busy intersection of Queens Chapel Road and Hamilton Street. In the video, three men are struggling, one on the ground shouting “Help me!” and two others — one with a mask — punching and wrestling with the man on the ground. A closer look showed that the men on top wore heavy vests and soon I could see “ICE” on the labels.
And then, as I watched and to my horror, one of the ICE officers lunged for his gun that skittered onto the street, and as he reached out to grab it he appeared to be aiming it at the camera and bystanders. Who was this man threatening to shoot my neighbors? Why was the man on the ground being brutalized by what soon became many officers? How could this happen on an otherwise routine morning in a quiet suburban neighborhood?
Homeland Security later said that the man on the ground was a “dangerous criminal” who was in the country illegally. Perhaps he was, but the brutality evident in the video was unjustified. The bystander who made the video said he and others felt that the ICE officer with the gun really might shoot them. Later on there were protests, signs planted on the grassy median on Queens Chapel, and a neighborhood ruptured in ways that will take a long time to heal.
The “war” against undocumented immigrants that the current political regime has undertaken does not make anyone one bit safer, and instead, it makes all of us feel in danger of harm, both physical and psychological. Every day now, it seems, we behold truly obscene videos and photographs of brutal masked men beating and dragging other human beings. The ruthless, brutal scenes of masked men with guns apprehending people are repeated every day all over the country.
These scenes are a shame and scandal to the America I once knew, a place that offered the promise of the American Dream to people all over the world, a place that believed in due process for the accused and human rights for all. Ok, maybe that seemed naive, but what we are witnessing today in the savage treatment of immigrants — or, in an increasing number of cases, people being “profiled” as immigrants because of their looks — is a complete betrayal of the founding principles and continuing purpose of the United States. What is happening is also an offense against human life and dignity, the most bedrock values of Christianity and many faiths.
I am sick to death of the monstrously offensive use of the term “illegals” — the dehumanization of people who came to this country seeking relief from violence and poverty is hideous. No human being is “illegal.” Yes, some do not have proper papers, and if our political leaders really wanted a solution, an easier pathway to citizenship should have been forged years ago. But not having papers does not make someone morally repugnant or deserving of abuse and disrespect.
Last Sunday, September 28, was also the 111th Observance of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. A procession led by Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar drew more than 1000 people through the heart of Washington.
Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy offered Mass and used the occasion to give a powerful homily setting forth the Church’s teachings on human life and immigration. His powerful words are worth reading in full (read: Cardinal McElroy’s Homily). He called what is happening in the United States today “…an unprecedented assault upon millions of immigrant men and women and families in our midst.”
Cardinal McElroy went on to declare that, “Our first obligation as a Church is to embrace in a sustained, unwavering, prophetic and compassionate way the immigrants who are suffering so deeply because of the oppression they are facing.”
Moreover, he stated, “We are witnessing a comprehensive governmental assault designed to produce fear and terror among millions of men and women who have through their presence in our nation been nurturing precisely the religious, cultural, communitarian and familial bonds that are most frayed and most valuable at this moment in our country’s history. This assault seeks to make life unbearable for undocumented immigrants.” To those who say that undocumented immigrants broke the law, the Cardinal replies with the Gospel of the Good Samaritan who did not let law and custom stop him from helping the suffering man.He goes on: “The piercing insight and glory of the Samaritan was that he rejected the narrowness and myopia of the law to understand that the victim he was passing by was truly his neighbor and that both God and the moral law obligated him to treat him as neighbor.”
In a later interview with WTOP news radio, the reporter asked the Cardinal if he got pushback for wading into politics. Cardinal McElroy replied, “For us in the church, it’s part of morality and the social teaching of the Catholic Church, and so when people are suffering, we have to speak to that question. Major political issues often have moral dimensions…for the Catholic Church, this isn’t precisely a political issue. The church has no political role. It has a moral role in speaking to the moral dimensions of political questions, in terms of defending others, especially the poor and the vulnerable and those who are being oppressed.”
On Monday, Pope Leo also condemned the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, pointing out the hypocrisy in claiming to be “pro-life” while approving of cruel and brutal treatment of immigrants. The leadership of our Church officials in expressing solidarity with immigrants is a model for all of us to emulate.
Trinity students, faculty and staff are all concerned about these issues, and we look forward to raising up more discussions and learning opportunities on these points. On Friday, October 24, Trinity is hosting a special symposium on Social Justice. Entitled “From Leo XIII to Leo XIV: A Century of Social Justice Shaping Trinity,” the program will include panels and speakers addressing the meaning of the Church’s teachings on social justice and how we interpret current moral and social issues in light of those teachings. We will have a panel on immigration as part of that symposium, and we are eager to welcome alumnae, faculty, staff and students to the program. I will publish more information on this symposium in the days ahead.
Continue reading →Read comments (0) Add CommentVoices of Trinity: Constitutional Questions on DEI and MSIs
September 16, 2025
Every year on September 17, by mandate of Congress educational institutions must observe Constitution Day. The Constitution of the United States was first ratified by the Continental Congress on September 17, 1787. Over the last 238 years, the Constitution has been the basis for one of the most durable forms of democratic governance in history. Yet, the Constitution is also a fragile thing, subject to wildly different interpretations and applications depending upon the political composition of the leadership of the branches of government and the will of We, the People, to intervene when the officials in power veer in directions that differ from what the People understand as their Constitutional rights and protections.
Among many arenas in which Constitutional questions arise, perhaps none is more fraught with contentiousness and danger to domestic peace than those issues dealing with racial justice. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution, passed after the Civil War as part of the three great “Reconstruction” Amendments granting citizenship rights to former slaves, also ensured both “birthright citizenship” for persons “born or naturalized in the United States” as well as “equal protection of the laws.”
Today, some politicians want to end birthright citizenship entirely — a topic we’ll take up later in this semester.
Right now, an even more urgent Constitutional issue has arisen with the Trump Administration’s pronouncements about programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as federal grant programs for Minority Serving Institutions. The Trump Administration has declared DEI programs and grants for MSIs to be illegal and unconstitutional, claiming that they preference some racial groups over others in violation of equal protection. (Note that Trinity is classified as both a Predominantly Black and Hispanic Serving Institution and has received nearly $4 million in grants from the PBI program for equipment in our laboratories and other important purposes.)
For Constitution Day 2025, we asked the Trinity Community to weigh in on this question. Is DEI unconstitutional? Are MSI programs unconstitutional? Trinity answered with resounding clarity, see the summary of the survey, below.
Results of the 2025 Constitution Day Survey at Trinity:
Who participated? We had 112 responses arrayed as follows:
Q1: President Trump, the Department of Justice and the Department of
Education have all issued statements asserting that programs and
practices using Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles are illegal and
unconstitutional. What is your opinion?
An overwhelming proportion of the Trinity community disagreed with the idea that diversity, equity and inclusion programs are somehow unconstitutional. Here are respondent comments elaborating on the answers:
Student: “Minority groups are recovering from decades, even centuries of long discrimination and abuse. DEI is a program that no matter what allows everyone to be considered, not by the color of their skin but for their skillsets. The Trump administration is backtracking all the progress that has been made to suppress the minorities because they’re scared of us. WE hold power that they see and some of us can’t. That is why minorities need to work together and keep showing up and showing out even when they try and take it away from us.”
Faculty: “The public pushback against DEI is politically motivated, but is nonetheless a challenge that demands a response. We need to be able to explain, in detail, why DEI is constitutional, legal, and a public policy good. It might be useful to invite a speaker to campus that could talk about these issues.”
Student: “The principles and clear understanding about Diversity Equity and Inclusion is not there. It is somewhat confusing and abstract and when people attempt to explain it, it’s not including me or others.”
Staff: “Only the Supreme Court can decide what is unconstitutional. While I am concerned that this Court would side with Trump, it is still the Court’s decision, not the executive branch’s.”
Student: “As we look into the republican party and realize there is no diversity, and inclusion within the party it is a while male dominated party that feel the need to have control over everything and anything they don’t know about. Getting rid of DEI not only hurt me as a woman but a woman of color as well because now for certain in the career path that I am choosing i will have to work twice as hard to get where I want to be and not deemed as not qualified because I’m a black woman.”
Staff: “DEI initiatives are generally grounded in longstanding constitutional and statutory authorities, particularly the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and federal civil-rights laws like Title VII permit and sometimes require affirmative action or other remedial efforts to correct discrimination, to ensure equal opportunity. This helps to account for historic inequities. Courts have upheld many DEI practices so long as they are narrowly tailored, have a legitimate government interest, and do not impose undue burdens or rigid quotas in a way that violates strict scrutiny. Recent court decisions rejecting bans on DEI programs have pointed out that prohibiting all DEI efforts would likely constitute viewpoint discrimination and be overly vague or infringing on free speech or due process rights.”
Student: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) benefits students by exposing them to a campus community rich in diverse backgrounds, helping them develop compassion and cultural awareness. In my opinion, DEI enhances academic success by offering programs that supports first time generation and underrepresented students. These initiatives promotes a sense of inclusion and empowerment for students from all backgrounds, which encourages a greater participation in campus activities. DEI benefits in Universities brings forth a wide range of perspective from diverse faculty, staff, and students enhancing the academic and social environment on campus. By investing in DEI, institutions like Trinity demonstrates a commitment to empowerment, excellence, and preparing all scholars and graduates for success an interconnected or integrated world.”
Staff: “Maybe President Trump, the Department of Justice and the Department of Education needs to a course/class in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.”
Student: “DEI programs help create more inclusive and diverse environments and promotes equal opportunities for everyone, especially Black and Hispanic students. I think this is very concerning and unfair to all of those affected, I hope that someday this will all be over and people are treated equally.”
Staff: “Equity for historically excluded populations requires additional investment. To reach equity under the constitution, congress should act to stop illegal defunding of DEI by the current administration.”
Q2: Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it was immediatly terminating its grant programs for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) on the grounds that they unconstitutionally discriminate in favor of the racial groups served by those programs. (Trinity is both a Predominantly Black and Hispanic Serving Institution.) Do you agree or disagree with the Department of Education’s decision?
Student: “I don’t agree with the idea that MSIs are unconstitutional. It is already extremely difficult for individuals of color to pursue further education in the U.S. MSIs serve as a bridge to lessen the educational gap. To say that these schools are unconstitutional is an attempt by political officials (who are majority white and able to pay for college) to keep people of color from furthering their education.”
Staff: “The MSI grants go to the institutions, not individuals, and therefore this grant money is used on things that benefit all students at a University, not just those of a particular race or ethnicity.”
Student: “What is unconstitutional is taking away people’s rights to better themselves.”
Staff: “Predominently Black or Hispanic Serving” are not terms that give preference ONLY to one race or ethnicity. As noted in my response to question #1, only the Supreme Court can decide what is unconstitutional. While I am concerned that this Court would side with Trump, it is still the Court’s decision, not the executive branch’s. From a spending standpoint, Congress needs to shed it’s cowardly lion persona and regain the courage to take back control of the purse they alone control.”
Student: “I completely disagree with the termination of grants that serve MSI like our campus. I moved to DC thinking I would have more opportunities, but doors seem to be closing for Black and Hispanic students who want to pursue a higher education. It has been very discouraging and hard for people who look like me.”
Staff: “If MSIs are “unconstitutional”, why is the Department diverting much of this funding to HBCUs? The Department is using the funding as a political tool rather than a support to students who most need it.”
Student: “In my view, the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to terminate grant programs on grounds of alleged unconstitutional discrimination is both disappointing and hurtful. These grants plays an important role in strengthening education departments and support special populations, such as those dserved under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). They also provide essential funding for low-income families and communities, helping students to seek their higher education. Grants awarded to institutions are normally based on financial need, programs like the Federal Pell Grant are important for students like me…those enrolled in their first undergraduate program and faces financial challenges at times. By eliminating these resources undermines efforts to create equitable access to education and limits possibilities for those who need support the most.”
Staff: “The Department of Education’s decision to end MSI grant programs is a cop-out because these institutions do not discriminate by race; they serve all students while addressing historic underfunding and systemic inequities. MSI designations are based on mission and demographics, not exclusion, and courts have long upheld the government’s compelling interest in remedying barriers to equal education. By mischaracterizing MSIs as unconstitutional, the Department sidesteps its duty to promote equity and undermines the very communities Congress intended to support.”
Thanks to all for participating in this survey!
I had a few things to say about the termination of the MSI funding in a recent CNN interview… watch it here: McGuire Interview on CNN regarding MSI funding
More on this and related topics at our upcoming Campus Conversations on September 24 at 4 pm on zoom — join us then!
Continue reading →Read comments (0) Add CommentSeptember 11 and the Demons of Violence
September 11, 2025
24 years later, the images still haunt us: twin towers exploding, belching huge clouds of smoke and ash, collapsing onto a city forever changed by the sickness and sorrow of that day. I’m not using any images of the towers on fire, they are too painful and irreverent in light of the thousands of lives that were consumed in the inferno. We remember them — those who died in New York and at the Pentagon and in a field in Shanksville, PA — and all those who lived with the aftermath of that terrible day of violence and terror. The families and co-workers, yes — but all of us absorbed elements of the bitter, corrosive aftermath of September 11, 2001.
The demons of violence unleashed that day burrowed their ways into so many parts of American life, revealing us as a fearful, vengeful, more violent nation than we thought we were on September 10. We went to war against those we thought were responsible, in Iraq and Afghanistan, sacrificing thousands of lives in pursuit of the shadowy enemy. We finally killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of our misery, but the terror continued since violence is not really about one person but a cultural heritage that passes among people across generations.
In our anger and thirst for revenge, America became a more divided and violent place in the decades after September 11. The politics of suspicion and division, anger and retribution widened the ideological and cultural gaps among us. A large swatch of the American population chose to build armories against impending doom — Americans own more guns per capita than we have people in this country. Gun violence is commonplace and efforts to limit guns fail repeatedly.
Rising violence has infected American politics with hateful rhetoric and appalling images filling social media and dark minds with guns and desire for bloodshed. Someone shoots through the stained glass windows of a church in Minnesota, killing two children and injuring many more, and we learn afterward that he actually expressed a desire to kill kids. School shootings have become so frequent that they no longer capture headlines. Large gatherings for games or concerts or political rallies have become dangerous venues with constant reminders — prohibitions on bags, metal detectors, swarms of police — of the dark forces that lurk on the fringes.
Political violence is rising in this polarized nation, and the murder yesterday of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a rally on the campus of Utah Valley University is the latest flashpoint. No one knows the motivation of his killer but social media is full of accusations against various political parties. Kirk’s death is a tragedy, as were the murders of Democratic politicians earlier this year in Minnesota, and many other murders or attempted assassinations against officials of all parties. Violence respects no party or ideology; violence is its own belief system.
When will the violence end? Is there any solution to America’s crisis of anger, revenge, polarization and homicidal desires? We must find a solution, and soon. I heard a commentator on the radio this morning musing about the possibility of a new civil war in this nation, and that is not a far-fetched worry. Either we learn how to make peace among ourselves, or we will see increasingly violent actions resulting in further social and political divisions.
The first step is for all of the people who believe in peace and non-violence to be more affirming of those choices. We need leaders to step up who are not afraid to counter the violent rhetoric of other leaders. We need our churches and religious leaders to step up their engagement with communities and congregations that need to lay down their arms. We need educational leaders to take on the hard work of teaching about the sources of violence and elements of peacebuilding, and to create schools and colleges that demonstrate the best of peaceful commitments for all.
We also need to demand that our political leaders set aside the violence of their rhetoric that inspires rogue individuals to commit horrific acts of violence. Yesterday, President Trump rightfully condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, but he used language and accusations that will only inflame his followers against others. And this is a president that, only last week, had a meme on his social media website of Chicago in flames with a threatening message that, “Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the department of WAR.” Threatening an American city with violence by its own government is not a pathway to peace. And renaming the “Department of Defense” as the “Department of War” illustrates clear disregard for any hope of peacebuilding leadership in the world.
We need to purge the demons of violence and hatred that were spawned on September 11. Let’s start by agreeing to commit at least one act of peace each day.
Continue reading →Read comments (0) Add CommentThe New Pioneer Women of Trinity
August 22, 2025
(Top: Trinity’s Pioneer Women Class of 1904 – Bottom: New Pioneers Class of 2029)
The New Pioneer Women of Trinity
Remarks to New Students in the College of Arts and Sciences
August 22, 2025
President Patricia McGuire
125 years ago this year, on a cold, rainy November morning, in the Year 1900, 4 intrepid young women first set foot on Trinity’s campus in what was then considered the “countryside” of the nation’s capital. Michigan Avenue was a dirt road, and the college they came to inhabit had one building — or, should I say, a single wing of one building (the south wing of Main Hall) under construction. Their class scribe told the story of their first encounter with Trinity: “And this is how Trinity first opened its doors to its students. It was Saturday noon, November 3, 1900, when amidst a depressing downpour of rain four students and one sister wended heir muddy way from the car track to the front door….” But they could not find the front door because that south wing of Main Hall was still being constructed. Eventually they found their way inside, and soon, other young women and sisters joined them and classes began on November 8, 1900 with 19 students.
(Above left: Main Hall was just the south wing in 1900 when the first students arrived; Above, right: four years later in 1904 Michigan Avenue was still a dirt road and Main was still six years away from completion)
A century and a quarter later, we may look back at the quaint tale of those women, the first Class of 1904 — a Red Class – and marvel at their fortitude and determination to make a go of it in a place that must have seemed very strange and foreboding to them. Like many of you, most if not all of them were the first in their families to go to college — because women, for the most part, were not allowed to go to college in the 19th Century. Trinity was founded because Catholic women who applied to the then-new Catholic University were barred from admission.
Not everyone was happy about the idea of women going to college back then. Some conservative priests at Catholic University wrote to the Pope complaining that the Sisters of Notre Dame who were trying to start Trinity were engaging in heresy — a heresy called “Americanism” because the idea of women’s education was considered very liberal, which is how Europe used to view America (alas, no longer).
The sisters persisted, the Pope (Leo XIII) said ok, the women came, and history began to roll forward.
Today, you are the women of destiny, you are the new generation of pioneer women poised to make history yet again.
Who are you? We know some things about you from your class data profile:
40% aspire to be nurses; others plan to study Business, Criminal Justice, Biology, Psychology, Early Childhood Education and other subjects;
82% are first time in college
15% transferred from another college
74% were born in the United States
26% were born in 28 other countries, with El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico topping that list
84% identify as American citizens
66% are D.C. residents with another 23% from Maryland
44% identify as Black or African American while 42% identify as Hispanic
You are Baptist and Muslim, Buddhist and Catholic, Hindu and Methodist and many other faiths
You are coming to Trinity because you have big dream for yourselves and your families — you know that a great education will make all the difference in helping you to realize your full potential throughout your lives.
Today we welcome you into this grand community and tradition of women scholars arrayed in a long line back to those first 19 students in 1900. They started traditions that continue to this day — traditions like the class colors (The Class of 2029 is a Blue Class) and, most important, the Honor System This morning you will take the Honor Pledge and sign the Honor Roll, and then you will receive your Trinity medals.
The Honor Agreement and Medal Ceremony
The Honor Agreement has been our tradition since the founding of Trinity. We expect you to live lives of honor and integrity, and to help each other to do so. This sets Trinity apart from many other schools and many places of business today.
The mission and values of Trinity, as embodied in our Honor System, reject any and all acts and words of hatred against other individuals; we welcome, honor and respect everyone here at Trinity and we expect you to treat every other person you encounter here with the respect and dignity they deserve.
This is the essence of the Honor Code, along with, of course, a deep commitment to being truthful in everything.
As part of this ceremony you will also receive the Trinity Medal, a symbol of your entrance into the Trinity community and commitment to the values of the Honor System.
The Trinity Medal has, on its front, the image of Our Lady – Notre Dame – the patron of the Sisters of Notre Dame who founded Trinity in 1897. On the back is the Celtic triangle symbolizing the Trinity. Your Trinity Medals are symbols — symbols of the power of women to change the world. Wear them well, wear them with pride, never do anything to disgrace them!
Challenges and Expectations for Trinity’s New Pioneers
You are starting your Trinity journeys at a time of considerable challenge and even peril for our Democracy in America and for freedom and justice throughout the world. Even as I speak, military personnel who have no lawful basis for patrolling our city streets are doing just that at the behest of a political leader who has shattered conventional notions of how a president of the United States should govern. We hear talk of fascism, authoritarianism, tyranny in tones that are not joking. We see delivery drivers snatched from their mopeds by masked men allegedly doing the government’s business. People are stopped and asked for their “papers” at train stations as if this were a movie from prewar Germany. The fragile pact called Home Rule for the District of Columbia is in tatters as our mayor and councilmembers do their best to keep knitting the pieces back together again while trying to find a pathway to peace with the federal administration.
Some of you have shared your anxieties and fears with us, going so far as to say you are worried about leaving your homes to come to college. You may have very good reasons for feeling this way, but here is now what I must say to you as your new teacher and leader of your college:
- You must not let the forces that seek to diminish your horizons do so.
- You must not concede a single step to the bullies who want you to be afraid, who want you to stay home, who hope that you will abandon your dreams of high achievement and powerful women’s leadership for the future.
- Do not ever let anyone tell you that you should accept less — less than what you deserve, less than what is your right — as the price of safety and security.
- Do not become a hostage to an agenda that deliberately and with malice seeks to repress and defeat your potential because you are female, because you are Black or Brown, or speak with an accent, or don’t have certain documents, or are too familiar with poverty,or are different in ways that diverge from what those in power say you should be to merit the benefits of this society.
Here’s why you are at Trinity: For 125 years, from the day those first brave students slogged through the mud to find our front door, Trinity Women have learned how to overcome obstacles, figure out solutions, speak truth to power, move ahead with change and triumph over adversity.
You are safe here at Trinity, but our real job is not to shelter you but, rather, to prepare you for active engagement with a challenging and often dangerous world.
Students before you triumphed through world wars, depressions, terrorist acts and global pandemics. They did this through the power of higher learning, acquiring the knowledge and skills that you will gather as you study human behaviors in psychology and sociology, the construction of political societies and the corruption of power, the philosophies of both oppression and revolution.
You will examine the molecules of life through microscopes and feel blood coursing through veins as you learn to be nurses and healthcare practitioners. You will study the root causes of racial and ethnic hatreds both here in the U.S. and around the world, the cruel intents of those who perpetrate horrific wars in places like Gaza and Ukraine; your study and research will lead you to conceptualize solutions for building new communities where diverse people can thrive together in peace.
You will learn why it is necessary for universities, libraries and museums to proclaim the truths that so many find uncomfortable about our history and our society; that slavery was an abomination not a mere distraction; that racism is truly America’s Original Sin; that hatred of persons who are “other” by race or nationality or gender or sexual orientation or belief or immigration status is an offense against faith teachings on human life and human dignity which are the bedrock teaching of the Catholic faith in social justice that animates Trinity and many other faith traditions.
As you learn all of this, you will become powerful advocates for yourselves and your communities, you will become trusted, valued leaders for the future, you will become fearless warriors for justice and peace.
And you might be saying to yourselves right now: who is she kidding?
Maybe you are a young Black woman who has suffered too much racism and marginalization as you have tried to move ahead with your dreams. Maybe you are an undocumented student who is holding that knowledge to yourself, afraid to let anyone know, and the repression of that truth is too much to bear. Maybe you are not afraid, feel just fine with things the way they are, don’t understand what the fuss is all about.
You will learn here how to respect and listen to all points of view, to let each person be herself whether you agree or disagree with opinions. But you will also learn that there cannot be bystanders when the times call for action. Whatever positions you espouse, at Trinity you will learn how to stand up, speak out, and most importantly, contribute to building a healthy community that serves the common good. You see our purpose stated on our banners along Michigan Avenue, and on our logo everywhere: Education for Justice. You will work for justice each day so that our communities can find the peace we must have to thrive.
Through all of that learning and growth, you will be sustained by the knowledge that you are part of that long line of activists and women leaders who have proudly carried the mission and values of Trinity into this world. For 125 years, Trinity has educated the next generations of citizen leaders, teachers, corporate entrepreneurs and nonprofit innovators, nurses and doctors and practitioners of the healing arts, women determined to make this world a happier, healthier, more just and free place. Their presence, their hard work, their strong voices and clear influence have, indeed, changed our world.
The first women who did that here were the Founders of Trinity, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. 125 years ago, a small group of very courageous women started their own revolution for justice. These religious sisters certainly did not think of themselves as radicals, and yet look at this room today, a room they could not have imagined in the segregated world of 1897 —but they would be so proud of you today!
As you leave this Chapel today, wearing your Trinity medals proudly, go with the blessings of the Trinity. May you find the strength, the wisdom and the love of the Trinity as inspiration, support and a call to action each day. Congratulations!
And so many thanks to our student leaders and peer advisors who are leading the way for our new students!
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