The Undergraduate Admissions Office at Duke University supports and stands in solidarity with the many voices on campus in affirming that Black lives matter. We share the pain of the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others to racially motivated violence, and support our Black students and all Black members of the Duke Community. We know we have work to do, and we specifically commit ourselves to the work of anti-racism in our office, in our processes, and in our interactions with the public. We understand that as a university in the South we have a special responsibility to enroll Black students, and we commit ourselves to actively recruiting and enrolling a diverse Black community.
We will continue to consider each applicant as a unique individual in the context of their lived experiences. We value active and responsible engagement in civic life and reaffirm that participation in peaceful protest has never been a reason for us to deny or rescind an offer of admission. Finally, we want to affirm that Duke University would literally not be the place it is without the labor, vision, and countless contributions of its Black community past and present.
We particularly want to acknowledge and support the plans and expectations for change at Duke in the statements from the following members of the Duke community:
Vice Provost Gary Bennett and Vice President Mary Pat McMahon
Finally, we appreciate and applaud the statements and commitments of many offices, organizations, and individuals in the Duke community; a partial list can be found here.