Many institutions, companies and organizations across North America have sent out notes of solidarity with the people protesting the police killing of George Floyd.

Some of these messages have been criticized for carrying an impersonal or generic tone. Ian Solomon, dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, tried something different. 

He wrote a personal essay titled: "Today, again, I am overwhelmed with grief and rage."

Solomon spoke with Day 6 host Brent Bambury about how the essay came about, how his brother died in 2011 while in police custody and more. Here is part of their conversation.

I was very moved by the essay you wrote. And I cannot imagine that this was something that was easy to write. Can you tell me why you felt it was important to share with your students and your community the words that we're gonna talk about right now?

I do a lot of private writing and journalling where I process my feelings. Last Friday, I felt I needed to say something publicly in my role as dean for my students. But I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I didn't feel like my writing, my private writing, was very dean-like. 

Listen to the full interview with Dean Solomon on CBC.