As I sit down to write this letter, I am overcome with sadness and indignation as we all grapple with the news of Sayed Arif Faisal’s killing. Sadly, we have been here before; reflecting on the death of a Person of Color, whose life ended too soon at the hands of the police.
Sayed Arif Faisal was a Cambridge resident, a 2020 Somerville High School graduate, and a student at UMass-Boston hoping to receive his Bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering. In a statement, his family shared that he was known as Prince to all, and he was a peaceful and conscientious law-abiding citizen. Like his family and the Bengali community that he was a part of, we are devastated by his violent death. As an organization, we are heartbroken to see this happen to a college student from a community we serve in both Cambridge and Somerville, a student who was a classmate to Enroot program students.
The fatal shooting of Sayed Arif Faisal is a stark reminder that we as a community need to continue to stand with each other in calling for justice and accountability from institutions whose mission is to protect all residents. We are heartened to know that the city of Cambridge is planning to host a community meeting on January 12th at 6pm at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School in Cambridge. A representative from Enroot will be in attendance. Our voices are stronger together.
This is not how anyone was hoping to begin the year. This is an unimaginable loss for his family, friends, and community. We urge everyone to check in with and care for one another. For our current students and volunteers, we are here for you. Somerville High School is planning on hosting “Community Conversations” among students and staff as a way to process as a community.
