The president and principal of Brophy College Preparatory School for Young Men found it necessary to change topics from the global pandemic to racial intolerance, offering up a time of prayer for families.

Adria Renke, president of the school, and Bob Ryan, its principal, shared their thoughts with a letter posted on the Brophy College Prep website addressing the students, families, and faculty.

While the school is still working hard to adjust to changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the present civil rights demonstrations were brought to immediate attention.

“The tragic events of the last few days, however, highlight a different force to which we all continue to remain vulnerable. The horrific killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia have exposed, yet again, the original sin of our nation: racism,” Renke and Ryan told the Brophy College Prep families in their letter.

“Unlike the virulence of COVID-19, we know that the racism that continues to permeate our society is not a force of nature or biology. It is the legacy of 400 years of oppression committed against communities of color. Although complicated and seemingly insurmountable, it is entirely within our ability, and our mandate as an Ignatian family, to respond. As an institution, we remain committed to this critical work,” the school leaders said in their letter.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion created a virtual space for students that will operate Monday through Friday from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. The office also hosted a virtual session on June 3 on “How to Talk to Your Son about Race.”

Renke and Ryan also provided a number of resources to help parents teach their children about tolerance and the sin of racism.