Equity and Inclusion
- The Classics Department at Loyola University Maryland affirms the reality of structural racism and the harm it causes. As a majority-white institution in a diverse city, we have a particular obligation to interrogate structural racism.
- We also affirm that Greco-Roman antiquity has been used by white supremacists for centuries, going back to the foundations of the academic discipline. The evidence for this phenomenon in the contemporary world is overwhelming, as the following link demonstrates: Pharos. We align ourselves with the scholars in our field who combat this directly and refuse to cede to white supremacists our evidence and interpretations of the ancient Greeks and Romans: see, for example, this article.
- We also affirm that racial categories are historically constructed. We commit to exploring how race is and has been defined, how racial categories have been used to oppress non-dominant groups, and the myriad connections between modern and ancient conceptions of race.
- We also affirm our commitment to critically examining, altering, and developing our curriculum in response to these issues. We will continue to include different perspectives and reflect the urgency of the position of Classics in these conversations.
- Black intellectuals from Frederick Douglass to Cornel West have found inspiration in Greek and Roman authors and used their arguments to further their own modern movements for freedom, equity, and justice: see, for example, this article.
Contact Us
Dr. Martha Taylor
Department Chair
Humanities Building, Room 321b
410-617-2636
mtaylor@loyola.edu
Nadine Fenchak
Program Assistant
Humanities Building, Room 322A
410-617-2326
nfenchak@loyola.edu