Statement by Faculty in the Department of History about the May 4, 2019, panel discussion “Not Backing Down”
We, the undersigned members of the Department of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst affirm our commitment to academic freedom. We do not necessarily share the points of view of the speakers invited to present at the panel discussion titled “Not Backing Down” on May 4, 2019. But we support the right of our colleagues on the University’s faculty to invite representatives of unpopular views to be heard, and for academic departments to sponsor controversial speakers, understanding that sponsorship does not imply endorsement. Furthermore, we condemn any attempt to use the judicial system to prevent the peaceful expression of opinions, as well as other forms of censorship.
Brian W. Ogilvie, Department Chair
Alon Confino
Sigrid Schmalzer
Daniel Gordon
David Glassberg
Jennifer L. Nye
Kevin A. Young
Sarah E. Cornell
Kathryn Schwartz
Alice Nash
Jennifer N. Heuer
Priyanka Srivastava
Jennifer Fronc
Anne F. Broadbridge
Andrew Donson
Richard Chu
Jon Berndt Olsen
Emily T. Hamilton
Audrey L. Altstadt
John E. Higginson
Christian Appy
Marla Miller
[Note: The initial version of this page included signatures of department faculty that had been made by 4 pm on Wednesday, May 1. As further faculty have added their signatures, the page has been updated.]