Dear Northwestern Community,

We are writing to express strongly and clearly our solidarity with our faculty colleagues who, as scholars, teachers, administrators, faculty members, parents, mentors, brothers, sisters, children and friends, have experienced insults and threats because of their color, because of their research subjects or because they speak their truths.  Academic freedom is of critical importance in our society and must be protected from such intimidation. We are saddened to read reports of death threats, threats of violence, and vile hurtful words against valued colleagues and friends. 

We know you as brave and brilliant researchers, scholars, writers and artists, and as sage voices committed to furthering all of our understandings about your areas of expertise. You provide an invaluable perspective on what it is like to be a minority in an elite environment where change is welcome, difficult, and at times uncomfortable.  We are blessed to have you as colleagues; you enrich Northwestern and our world, and we want to support you in every way we can.

For those outside, you should know that this University – its leaders, its students, its staff and its faculty – are committed to building an inclusive Northwestern.  We are in this together, and we are glad to be part of a community committed to excellence and knowledge, in every form it takes.

The signatory list begins with those who have committed to be Northwestern ChangeMakers. To voice your solidarity with your colleagues, please add your name, title and department to this form.  We will update names daily here.

We encourage students to create their own voice, so that their faculty, the many staff members who help Northwestern to function and their fellow students know how happy we are that they are part of our Northwestern community.

Karen J. Alter, Lady Board of Managers of the Colombian Exposition Chair, Professor of Political Science and Law, CM

Jason Brickner, Professor of Molecular Biosciences, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Director, Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences graduate program, CM

Susan Mango Curtis, Medill Professor of Digital Storytelling, CM

Jennifer Chan, Director of Global Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, CM

Shannon Millikin, Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, CM

Adam Goodman, Director, Center for Leadership, CM

Jeannie Herrick,  Associate Professor of Instruction emerita, Cook Family Writing Program, CM

Sumit Dhar, Hugh Knowles Professor of Hearing Science, Associate Provost for Faculty, CM

Regina Lopata Logan, Assistant Professor of Instruction, SESP, CM

Alex Birdwell, Academic Advisor & Co-Director of DTC, Associate Professor of Instruction, McCormick School of Engineering, CM

Yumi Shiojima, Professor of Instruction, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures

Michael A. Deas, Medill Assistant Professor, CM

Scott Garton, Librarian for Anthropology and Native American Studies, Senior Librarian Faculty, University Libraries, CM

John Franklin, Professor of Psychiatry, Feinberg Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion and Student Support, CM

Ava Thompson Greenwell, Medill Professor and Documentary Filmmaker, CM

Kimberly S. Scott, Assistant Professor and Director, Northwestern University Master’s Program in Learning & Organizational Change

Beth Bennett, Medill, Professor and Associate Dean of Journalism, CM

Sarah B. Rodriguez, Senior Lecturer, Global Health Studies, CM

Michelle Rogers, Clinical Assistant Professor of Non-Profit Executive Education, CM

If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.