Black Lives Matter Statement
The differential valuing of life, of achievement, of opportunity, and of intellectual and cultural contributions based on which racialized group one is thought to be a member of is manifestly unjust. This injustice compels us to repeat, internalize, and act upon the affirmation that Black lives matter.
Black lives matter for the same reason that everyone’s life matters; yet we are compelled to affirm that Black lives matter precisely because institutions, practices, laws, and behaviors have so long denied it.
The University of Louisville Philosophy Department therefore now reaffirms its longstanding commitment to the proposition that Black Lives Matter, and pledges to take proactive steps against inequitable treatment of anyone on the basis of race and its intersections with other marginalized identities.
Affirming that Black lives matter engages with our Departmental mission of “championing equity,” and recommits us to the inclusive and egalitarian character of philosophical inquiry.
In reaffirming this commitment, the Philosophy Department recognizes that the ongoing history of oppression occurs not just elsewhere, in other institutions, but in academia – including the philosophical tradition that we inherit. For too long, and in too many ways, philosophers have been both complacent about and complicit in the erasure of intellectual and cultural contributions by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color as well as women, and in whitewashing the racism that too often pervades the contributions of white philosophers and the sexism that is evident in the works of male philosophers.
We therefore pledge the following concrete actions to embody our affirmation that Black Lives – and Black Minds – Matter.
Teaching:
- We will include the contributions of nonwhite and non-male philosophers, and non-Eurocentric philosophical traditions, in the curriculum, both through offering courses dedicated to these and by integrating them into every course we offer.
- We will not whitewash racism, sexism, or other forms of bias within the work of the philosophers we study.
- We will dedicate departmental resources to the planning and promotion of extra-curricular opportunities that foster all of our students’ understanding of oppression and of the contributions of philosophers from underrepresented groups.
Research and Creative Activity:
- We will cite and amplify the voices of Black philosophers and those from other historically underrepresented groups.
Service and Administration:
- We will prioritize the recruitment, hiring, mentoring, and promotion of Black philosophers and philosophers from other underrepresented groups.
- In our service to the profession, we will foster and amplify the contributions and perspectives of Black philosophers and philosophers from other underrepresented groups, and promote widespread discussion of issues of particular concern among such philosophers.
Reaffirming this commitment at this time flows from our mission “to equip students to contribute to their communities, their societies, and the world.” We are committed to taking further steps to engage the campus and community in dialogue and action to realize a world in which “Black lives matter” does not even need to be a battle cry because it is a simple description of how we all live.
Adopted September 26, 2016
Revised June 12, 2020
Revised November 4, 2024
