Finding Consolation in a Senseless Act of Violence

A message from Dean Gregory Ball:

We are all saddened by the events of the past weekend on the College Park campus that resulted in the tragic and senseless death of Mr. Richard W Collins III. There is nothing we can do to bring Mr. Collins back, but we do as a community need to grieve, understand and reflect on this tragedy. Our colleague, Professor Oscar Barbarin, Chair of the Department of African American Studies and Professor of Psychology, has written a thoughtful reflection that I found to be moving; we hope it will help us to have continuing conversations about actions we might take. I would like to share Oscar’s essay in this post.

Finding Consolation in a Senseless Act of Violence

Mr. Richard W Collins III, a graduating senior at Bowie State University and Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was murdered in a senseless act of violence that took place on the campus of the University of Maryland on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Although the details of this White-on-Black murder are still sketchy and the motivations of the assailant unclear, the pain, confusion and heartache they have caused on our campus are palpable.

Our hearts are heavy with sadness and indignation as we think about the price Mr. Collins has paid. The very promising life of this young man was extinguished in its prime. As a result, Mr. Collins will not make the contributions to society for which he was trained and destined. It is left to us to make sense of and give meaning to his life.

Now in this moment of sorrow is the time for tempered reflection and civil discourse, and not mutual recrimination. It is not the time to retreat into our natural affinity groups and nurse suspicions. One senseless and lethal act of aggression must not give rise to meaningless acts of reprisal. We cannot allow his life to be given in vain. If good can come from evil, it will be that this event stands as a watershed and marks an inflection point in which UMD students, faculty, staff, and administrators will resolutely strive to create a more open and accepting community that is protective. When we lack personal, up-close connections, animosity may find fertile ground and prosper. We can and must struggle to find ways to appreciate our differences while not ignoring the values we share.

If we, the University of Maryland community look at ourselves honestly, we have made progress—but not enough to prevent the death of Mr. Collins.  

There is much we can do on a practical level with respect to identifying, understanding and addressing the conditions that make such tragedies possible. At these times more than ever we need ways to bridge the divide between us. To achieve this outcome, we must remain steady in our conviction that love not hate will win out and will bring us justice and equality.

The cost of hatred and mutual suspicion is high. Suspect and UMD student Sean Urbanski’s own life may very well be consumed by it. We must look at Mr. Collins’ death as a stark reminder of the work that remains to be done to create a society in which justice is the norm and where seething resentment has no place. Today, let us resolve that hatred and violence should find no welcome on our campus, no protected space in our speech, and no acceptance in our hearts. That will be one true consolation we can derive as we mourn the tragic loss of Mr. Collins.

Oscar A. Barbarin
Professor and Chair, African American Studies
Professor of Psychology

Image of Mr. Collins courtesy of WJLA

Published on Mon, May 22, 2017 - 8:03PM