Today marks three years since one horrific act of violence took away three cherished lives from our community. Deah Barakat, his wife of six weeks Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha — “Our Three Winners” — were not only passionate, invested students, but also loving, generous individuals deeply involved in the community that raised them.

In the years since their passing, this country has experienced unprecedented upheaval and division. Under a presidential administration that actively perpetuates Islamophobia, xenophobia and bigotry, fostering light under the threat of darkness is even more important now than it has been in past years.

As a community deeply impacted by the loss of three precious lives, it is our duty to keep Deah, Yusor and Razan’s legacies — their lights — alive and flourishing. Service efforts are ongoing, organized by Our Three Winners’ families, by Triangle area Muslim organizations, and by people working to honor Deah, Yusor and Razan’s investment in providing for those who are less fortunate.

Pam Hemminger, mayor of the town of Chapel Hill, has officially declared February 10 as “Our Three Winners Day,” a day to commemorate the memories of Our Three Winners through service and community engagement.

The Islamic Center of Raleigh holds an interfaith food drive honoring Deah, Yusor and Razan during the month of February every year. The Muslim Students’ Association at NC State hosts “Dunkin for Deah,” an annual basketball tournament that collects proceeds for the Our Three Winners Foundation. Razan’s love for running will be celebrated at the annual Run for Razan, the inaugural event for which happened in April 2017.

Deah, whose name means “light,” had a passion for service that has been realized in The Light House Project, a community center established by the Barakat family that embodies Deah’s dream to “have a unified and structured community” and “have a voice in our society and support the youth with their projects.”

Deah, Yusor and Razan’s dedication to and passion for education is being carried out by the Our Three Winners scholarship fund at NC State, which has been endowed in perpetuity. The fund is awarded to students that truly embody the values that Deah, Yusor and Razan lived their lives by, and that they inspire in others now and forever.

Equally as important in ensuring the continuation of Deah, Yusor and Razan’s legacies is individual and community-wide commitment to eradicating hateful speech or behavior and violence motivated by any form of bigotry.

We cannot truly honor Our Three Winners’ legacies, nor can we give due recognition to their memories, if division and a lack of understanding among members of our own community are tolerated and fostered. All of us, including administrators, faculty, staff and students, must ensure that marginalized individuals and communities are not unjustly targeted by hatred or bigotry in the way that Deah, Yusor and Razan were.

Ignorance breeds fear and, subsequently, bigotry. It’s on us, as individuals that are a part of a greater cause and community, to take the first step in eliminating ignorance by challenging our own beliefs, and educating ourselves on the environment and world around us. It has never been easier to experience and interact with people and cultures different than ourselves, especially at a university of more than 34,000 students from around the globe.

On the other hand, it can be far too easy to surround ourselves with an echo chamber that only reinforces our own biases. It’s our duty as human beings and our job as students to challenge what we believe, admit our own ignorance, and consider perspectives different than our own. We cannot hope to eradicate bigotry if we’re willing to remain closed-minded.

Deah, Yusor and Razan dedicated their lives to bridging gaps between people and fostering unity in a time when division threatened to take over. Three years after ignorance and misunderstanding resulted in a tragedy that shook our nation to the core, efforts to cultivate cross-cultural integration and collaboration are more necessary than ever.

Today — and every day — in the name of Our Three Winners, take a moment to learn something new about a person, group or culture that you may not interact with every day. A step toward education is a step away from ignorance and from bigotry, even if it requires stepping outside our comfort zones.

This unsigned editorial is the opinion of the majority of Technician’s editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.