Dr. Derrick E. Griffith could usually be found walking the campus of Medgar Evers College late into the evening. As acting dean of student affairs and enrollment management, Griffith was an exacting role model who encouraged the school’s mostly Black and Latino students to stay in college.
News that Griffith, 42, had been killed on Tuesday after an Amtrak train traveling from Washington, D.C., to New York jumped the railways and derailed in Philadelphia, sent shockwaves across campus where everyone knew him as “Dean Griffith.”
Medgar Evers College students, staff and faculty agree that Dr. Derrick E. Griffith was a champion for the downtrodden.
As much as he encouraged students to be resilient in the pursuit of their dreams, he, too, was a lifelong learner. He had just completed an important milestone in his academic trajectory. In March, he successfully defended his dissertation and was scheduled to graduate later this month with a Ph.D. in urban education from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center.
In an interview with Diverse, Griffith’s dissertation advisor at CUNY said that he was a model educator.
“He was dedicated to the students he served,” said Juan Battle, who is a professor of sociology, public health and urban education. “He was a gentleman, a joy, my student, and more important to me, he was my friend.”
Students, staff and faculty gathered throughout campus on Thursday to remember the man who they called a pillar in their community. A candlelight vigil was held in the evening. They said that he was a champion for the downtrodden who encouraged students to pursue their education with vigor.
