Faculty and Staff

November 2023: A Message from President Krislov

Posted
November 1, 2023
people walking on the pleasantville campus

This week is Social Justice Week at Pace University.

Thirteen years ago, DJ Henry, a Pleasantville student and member of the Pace Setters football team, was shot and killed by a Pleasantville police officer on Homecoming Weekend. Each year, we present Social Justice Week each year to honor his legacy, keep alive his memory, and create opportunities for new generations of Pace students, staff, and faculty, to engage in dialogue about issues of racial and social justice and make positive change in our communities.

As you’ll read in this edition of Pace Now, Social Justice Week this year includes more than 40 events recognizing that DJ’s story cannot be told accurately without acknowledging its connection to a history and reality of racism, inequity, and injustice. Highlights of this year’s Social Justice Week including campus vigils in DJ’s memory—the New York City vigil is this evening—and a discussion tomorrow at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law led by Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah, who recently ordered an independent review of Henry’s shooting.

You can find more information about Social Justice Week here, and more information about the Haub Law event here. To learn more about DJ and his life and legacy, you can view this video from the DJ Henry Dream Fund, established by his family.

Elsewhere in Pace Now, you’ll see other examples of how the Pace Community interacts with the broader community and works to improve the world around us. In one feature story, we look at National First Gen Student Day, and we shine a spotlight on Valentina Rojas Abreu ’24, who is working to build a first-gen community as president of the First Generation Program. Elsewhere, we check in with a thriving group of Pace student veterans whose sense of togetherness helps them bridge the transition from service to schooling. And you can also learn about a major new grant challenge launched by the Pace Entrepreneurship Studio and their partners at Speedemissions that could result in a $15,000 prize for a startup with an innovative idea to help address climate change.

I know all of you at Pace are working to make a difference and make the world a better place. Let’s all keep up that important work.

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