Dear Luther Community,
Today we mourn and despair of the murder of Michael Williams, a Black man and resident of Grinnell, Iowa, whose burned body was found in a ditch in rural Kellogg, Iowa, on Wednesday and identified on Friday.
While we know the investigation of this murder is in its early stages, we nonetheless recognize the exhaustion, sorrow, and fear that the circumstances of Mr. Williams’ death must evoke in our community, particularly for our Black students, faculty, and staff.
We remain focused on anti-racism work at Luther College, in Decorah, and within the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, which includes both Luther College and Grinnell College. Let us offer our prayers for Mr. Williams and his family, and acknowledge that this incident, so close to home, strikes at the heart of all of us who seek equity and justice on our Iowa campus and in the town of Decorah.
At Chapel on Wednesday, Pastor Anne Edison-Albright, Professor Guy Nave, and Professor Jane Hawley will lead the community in a service that will include reflections on Michael Williams’ murder. We will gather for Chapel on Bentdahl Commons at 10:30 a.m.
President Jenifer K. Ward