The members of the Department of Sociology at the University of Virginia stand in solidarity with Black students, faculty, staff, and others who were, and may continue to be, affected by the display of a noose on the Homer statue on September 7, 2022.

We denounce both this hate crime and the histories of anti-Blackness at UVA that have preceded and produced it. We reaffirm the university’s founding vision of “discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of talented students from all walks of life.” That many members of our community now feel unsafe and unwelcome means that vision is in jeopardy. And that means we have work to do. We pledge to do that work.

We commit to making our department a space that is not just inclusive but affirming and generative for our students and colleagues. We offer our offices and classrooms as spaces of support where we will listen and welcome new ideas to help us respond to and address racism.