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sJU SAINT JOSEPH’S
UNIVERSITY Spirit | Intellect | Purpose
Department of Communication Studies
November 28, 2016
A Statement from the Department of Communication and
Digital Media at Saint Joseph’s University on Recent Post-
Election Events
We, the faculty in the Department of Communication and Digital Media at Saint Joseph's
University and in full support of its contents, release the following statement in response to post-
election acts of violence against minority groups, including on our campus:
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the appointment of racists, bigots, misogynists, and
anti-Semites to the highest levels of national government. We call on faculty, staff, students, and
administrators at Saint Joseph’s University to resist the normalization of white supremacy. We
cannot pretend that we are seeing politics as usual. We cannot ignore and appease fear-
‘mongering and extremist views that threaten the human dignity of members of our communities.
The Department of Communication and Digital Media was founded at the intersections of civic
engagement and digital media, and we believe communication is central to social change. The
way we talk about current events affects how we act upon them, Thus, we are devoted to creating
a culture of change-making by building partnerships with individuals and groups beyond the
confines of the university. Each faculty member plays a committed role to its success by
providing students with opportunities to link to others in order for each to develop a sense of
place in the broader world.
We admire and support campus groups such as Black Student Union, SJUPride, Bridging the
Gap, The Alliance, the Latino Student Association, and other student organizations and
individuals dedicated to helping us all understand each other better. Students in these
organizations know that foul acts of bigotry have dramatically increased recently but
unfortunately are not new, We call on everyone on campus --- administrators, faculty, staff, and
students --- to stand with these courageous members of our community.
In making this call, we recognize that humans are instinctively tribal, not inclusive. Our wiring
pushes us to seek out those most like ourselves, particularly in times of distress. Inclusion, on the
other hand, must be learned, practiced and continuously nurtured. Being an ally is difficult work.
However, we are committed - now more than ever -- to providing opportunities for students,
faculty, and staff to practice solidarity in our classrooms, in our building, on campus and in local
communities.
5600 City Averue 7: 610.660.3385 wwwsjuedu
Philadelphia, PA 19131-1395 F : 610.660.3235dp
SJU SAINT JOSEPH’S
UNIVERSITY Spirit| Intellect | Purpose
Department of Communication Studies
Join us in asking: How can those who teach and learn in higher education extend beyond
traditional curricular boundaries to become agents of social change, not just in theory, but in
practice?
Moving forward, intentional acts of solidarity will be vital, Small gestures, like signing a petition
or wearing a button, often lead to larger demonstrations, like stepping off the curb and joining a
protest or calling out bigoted acts when and where you see them, Our Jesuit values require
radical acts of solidarity. We encourage all students and faculty to take concrete steps to protect
non-majority groups, and we dedicate ourselves to being leaders in those efforts on campus and
in the communities in which we work and live.
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Steven Hammer Ainiée Kni J. Michael Lyons
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Rachael Sullivan Willighh Wolff
5600 City Avene 7:510.660.3385 www.sju.edu
Philadelphia, PA 19131-1395 F: 610.660.3235