Friday, June 10, 2022
We want to bring attention to the following statement by the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies in response to recent Anti-Black Incidents on Campus, as well as to the statement below, signed by Phil Bricker as Chair of the Department of Philosophy together with other chairs in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts:
As department chairs in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, we stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies in the struggle against anti-Black racism in the university, its community, and the United States. Attacks on Black people, whether cowardly emails sent under cover of anonymity or horrific acts of violence such as the recent massacre in Buffalo, result from strands of white supremacy and racial prejudice that are deeply rooted in American history. We are grateful to the Du Bois Department for its leadership in the fight for equal justice on our campus and beyond. We encourage all members of the UMass community to support their leadership: attend lectures, rallies, and teach-ins; educate yourselves on the history of anti-Black racism and white supremacy; and contribute, in whatever way you can, to the ongoing project of realizing more equitable and just communities. If you are able to make a financial contribution, you may do so here.
Marisol Barbon, Chair, Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures
Phil Bricker, Chair, Department of Philosophy
Harley Erdman, Chair, Department of Theater
Randall Knoper, Chair, Department of English
Salvatore Macchia, Chair, Department of Music & Dance
David Mednicoff, Chair, Department of Judaic & Near Eastern Studies
Young Min Moon, Chair, Department of Art
Brian Ogilvie, Chair, Department of History
Joe Pater, Chair, Department of Linguistics
Monika Schmitter, Chair, Department of the History of Art & Architecture
Stephen Schreiber, Chair, Department of Architecture
Anthony Tuck, Chair, Department of Classics
Angela Willey, Chair, Department of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies