FMU to facilitate community forum on diversity. ‘We can do better, we must do better,’ says Carter

Francis Marion University President Dr. Fred Carter told the university’s board of trustees Thursday that FMU would take the lead in sustaining a regional conversation on racial justice and equality in the wake of the George Floyd murder last week.

That effort will begin when FMU facilitates a community forum at some point in the next few weeks. Details of that event are still under discussion with leaders in the community, said Carter, and will be announced at a later date.

Carter’s remarks came at the trustee’s regularly scheduled June meeting. Here are those remarks in full:

“George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis last week was an American tragedy. It was a barbaric act that should anger all of us and remind us that we must do better — not only for ourselves but for our sons and daughters.

“You might ask what does this have to do with FMU? The answer is everything. Look around you — we are one of the most diverse universities in the state and the Southeast. We’ve been proud of this legacy for decades.

“This is a harmonious place racially, but we can make it even better. I’ll tell you what else we can do. We can continually remind the communities and people around us that diversity, in thought, opinion, culture and belief, is the best antidote against hatred and intolerance.

“To that end, I’ve spent this morning talking to the mayor (of Florence) and some community leaders about hosting a forum in the next few weeks focusing on these and a few other topics. I believe this university can play a large role in sustaining this dialogue. More details will be forthcoming in the next few days.”