Diversity Initiatives

Overview

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee is a student-faculty committee formed in 2021 to lead the development of more inclusive practices in all aspects of the Philosophy Program. Its current members are:

Faculty - Michael Brownstein, Serene Khader, Muhammad Ali Khalidi (chair), Naomi Zack

Students - Concetta Livia, Itsue Nakaya Perez, Jodell Ulerie

The committee aims to generate practical new initiatives in consultation with other bodies in the Philosophy Program, and also to serve as an approachable body to which any student, faculty member, or staff member can easily communicate a positive suggestion, or negative feedback, in relation to any aspect of inclusivity, diversity and equity in our Program's practices and climate.

The committee’s efforts are an integral part of the Philosophy Program’s commitment to sustaining a culture of equal opportunity for academic and professional flourishing in the department as a whole.

Why “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion”?

As philosophers we are trained to care about definitions and these are complex and contested terms. They have come to be used in efforts to address homogeneity, discrimination, and power imbalances, each of which highlights some aspect of those efforts. Philosophy in the United States has been overwhelmingly dominated by white, male voices (usually also cisgendered, straight, abled, Western, and relatively affluent). “Equity” generally refers to efforts to promote opportunity for people in underrepresented groups. “Diversity” highlights the importance of representing the views of people with different backgrounds. “Inclusion” emphasizes the importance of making those from underrepresented groups feel welcome and equal members of the intellectual community.

As important as these concepts are, we also recognize the danger of letting buzzwords stand in place of actions. Professional philosophy, as it currently stands, leaves too many voices out. The field suffers intellectually from its homogeneity, and that homogeneity also signals that members of underrepresented groups are unwelcome and excluded. Concrete efforts at every level can be made to change this. EDIC exists to facilitate those changes.

In these webpages, you can learn about some of our initiatives.