We, the staff and faculty of the Women's Studies Program, want to express our outrage at the racist and violent threats that have been made on campus this week and to express our solidarity with and concern for African-American students, faculty, and staff at NIU.

We are both angry and saddened that such threats are still made in this day and age and that we must still take them seriously.

As a university community, we must rededicate ourselves to our mission of learning by opening our minds, cultivating true compassion, and seeking to understand the differences among people.

To our African-American colleagues and students: we care about and respect you.

To us all: let us work together in the coming weeks and months to find ways to confront racism and violence and cultivate respect and peace.

Lynn Kamenitsa
Rebekah Kohli
Amy Levin
Lise Schlosser
Diana Swanson

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