As Interdisciplinary scholars, activists and faculty, we write to condemn the continual institutionalized systemic racism in America, especially against black people. We advocate for and stand with all who have been marginalized, silenced, ignored, and pushed to the periphery through interlocking injustices. We support those who have galvanized recently via peaceful protests, written statements of outrage, and other expressions demanding change. We are you—we are one. As interdisciplinarians we recognize the complicated, intricate, complex and uncomfortable aspects of this “wicked” problem that impacts all humanity. One cannot and should not be literally, emotionally or figuratively assassinated because one is black. This is unacceptable. We are outraged and moved to confront the implications of this historical, social, psychological, economic, political, and philosophical issue.  Hence the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies is marshaling our collective voices to demonstrate the power in the multiplicity of communities to demand change.

Respect for black lives, for all human lives, is everyone’s moral duty. Interdisciplinarians, regardless of their geographical location in the world, practice perspective taking and seek common ground. Understanding the perspectives of the Black diaspora is our obligation. The Association for Interdisciplinary Studies was founded in 1973 to provide a safe space to confront such atrocities, to gather perspectives, to share insights, and to seek solutions to solve our most pressing problems. Today, in 2020, AIS is an international organization that supports knowledge-building, capacity-building, empathy facilitation and unconditional respect for not only the Black diaspora but for all marginalized persons in our world. We stand ready to ask the hard questions, facilitate honest dialogue, demand fair representation, and generate complex responses that include the disciplinary perspectives of all—it is our responsibility to use our intelligence in allegiance: Black Lives Matter.

Khadijah O. Miller

VP, Relations, AIS