Photo: Elizabeth Flores

After a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty in the death of George Floyd this week, educators across the country prepared to help students make sense of this pivotal moment in U.S. history.

The verdict—the culmination of a case that kicked off a historic wave of protests against police brutality and racism—brought some relief that Chauvin would be held responsible for a death that came to symbolize racial injustice in America. But students and educators acknowledge that the verdict is far from a stopping point—and that the fight for racial justice must continue. 

Many of today's college students are pursuing their dream of higher education while working—a lot—and sacrificing even basic needs. Sometimes, all that juggling works. But too often, something has to give. And many times, that something is the education that could lead students to better-paying careers and a higher quality of life.

Creative and holistic thinking on the part of Hudson County Community College aims to catch students in danger of falling through the cracks with the opening of an on-campus facility that addresses needs beyond the classroom.