By Marcheta P. Evans, Jonathan Holloway and Lamont O. Repollet

As New Jersey’s college and university presidents of color, we share a duty to be advocates for knowledge, truth, equity and humanity. We have come together collectively to encourage our fellow members of Black and brown communities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. We believe and trust the science. We ask that you do, too. The apprehension and misgivings that we are hearing, seeing and reading about COVID-19 vaccines are sources of mutual concern for all of us. We explicitly understand the basis for these fearful perceptions and the hesitation that has been brought on by current and historic experiences. The fears and mistrust from unwelcome and unjust life experiences are especially profound for those in our Black and brown communities. For these reasons, we write this important and timely message in the hope that it will provide you with some clarity in hearing about the safety of the vaccines from community members with similar experiences and trustworthy motivations. To read the full story.