Northern Illinois University
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

English Department Supports Black, Indigenous and People of Color

October 12, 2020

Members of the Department of English at Northern Illinois University condemn in the strongest possible terms white supremacy as both an organized structure and an individual belief. We come together to affirm that Black Lives Matter and that Black education matters.

In solidarity with Black students, faculty and staff at our university, as well as Black community members across the nation, we recognize that English as a discipline has often excluded or marginalized Black aesthetic forms, Black intellectual and political traditions, Black language use such as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and Black language users. While we have made positive changes to address these failings, we still have work to do in reforming curricula and policies in relation to our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color students, faculty and staff. We acknowledge that silence enables anti-Black and racist attitudes and actions but that words alone will not effect change. Therefore, we pledge to take the following actions:

• Expand diverse course offerings that center the voices, perspectives, artistic contributions, and scholarship of Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.
• Advance anti-racist pedagogies by addressing the following issues: equity and access; linguistic diversity; structures of power embedded in canonicity, histories of empire and colonization and racial injustice; and the power of words to foster belonging.
• Advocate for Black, Indigenous and People of Color hires in the department and across NIU.
• Build structures of support and mentoring for Black and other students, faculty and staff of Color.
• Advocate for resources addressing the protection, safety and well-being of our Black and other students, faculty and staff of Color.
• Collaborate with campus and community-academic and cultural centers, including the Center for Black Studies, to promote increased academic and community connections.
• Facilitate additional educational workshops for students, faculty and staff to develop and deepen cultural competencies.
• Advance equity-minded measures that propel our students to achieve success at NIU and beyond

We believe these and other anti-racist and inclusive actions are a shared responsibility across disciplinary areas for all students, faculty and staff. Hate has no home at NIU or in our department; we stand against intolerance toward Jewish, Muslim and people of other religious heritages, disability discrimination, gender and sexual discrimination, genocide and bigotry in any form.

Across our many programs, we are committed to empowering students as readers, writers, educators and agents whose words can create a more just and equitable world.