In an open letter Aug. 14 to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) community, UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, denounced the hatred that led to deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12. Here is the text of that letter:

To the UMB Community:
 
Of course we condemn the hatred that led to deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend. But because some have thus far refused to condemn the hate groups by name, I will: The KKK, the neo-Nazis, and the white supremacists diminish us as Americans. Their vile ideologies, which strive to divide us, will fail.
 
But this is easy outrage. It's easy to condemn bigotry and stubborn ignorance. It's easy to champion love over hate. What's harder is the work we undertake every day in our community to show what love looks like, to secure equality and enact justice, to defend the principles on which this country was founded and which it struggles still to honor. The only valid response to evil is not more words denouncing it, but sustained action that renders it weak and, in time, irrelevant. And so I thank you for that work, and I thank you for the powerful love that feeds it.
 
Sincerely,

Jay A. Perman, MD
President