| Washington, DC — We at the National League for Nursing feel and acknowledge the outrage of our fellow citizens at the death of George Floyd, a black man, not at the hands but at the knee of a policeman who is sworn to protect the public. We cringe at the knowledge that George is not the first person of color who with cruelty has been treated unfairly trying only to breathe. Interestingly we educate and prepare nurses who have been at the frontline and throughout our communities helping everyone regardless of color — to breathe.
We believe we should all breathe and speak loudly in support of those who rally and march peacefully in our streets raising their voices in concern. We do not support the violence from any group or from any direction. We are concerned about the public health issues of racism and the coronavirus: gatherings of large groups, lack of masks and physical distancing, and the potential of spreading this virus that has devastated the lives and economic welfare of so many families in the United States and around the world. We live by our four well-established core values: caring, integrity, diversity and excellence. We believe that these values will build, not just a strong and diverse nursing workforce, but also a strong and diverse society that advances the health of our nation and the global community. We ask faculty, staff and students to join us in creating communities of caring nationally and globally.
The National League for Nursing extends our deepest sympathies to the family of George Floyd and all those affected by injustices anywhere. We stand by your side each and every day.
NLN President Patricia S. Yoder-Wise, RN, EdD, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAONL, FAAN
NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN | 
