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Webinar #10: Marianne Leone
Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 4 PM Eastern

The Italian American Studies Association  (IASA) mourns the death of George Floyd and the many who have lost their lives to police brutality before him.

IASA deplores and condemns the racial terror and violence that shape the lives of black and brown people and other marginalized communities in the United States, Italy, and around the world.

As scholars focused on the history and culture of Italians in the United States, we recognize that over the course of many decades Italian Americans have worked to overcome widespread anti-Italian discrimination and have come to enjoy the rights and privileges of being seen as white in America. Therefore, IASA values the contributions of all racial, ethnic, and religious groups to American society, and IASA stands in solidarity with social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter, aimed at dismantling systemic racism that continues to hinder communities, criminal justice systems, educational institutions, places of employment, healthcare organizations, and housing practices in our country. Finally, IASA encourages members to support the right to peaceful assembly enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In our roles as educators, researchers, and artists, we commit to vigorous and wholehearted participation in our democracy, both inside and outside of the classroom, and we stand with those who are demanding meaningful change.

This statement affirms our commitment to anti-racist practices in our work and interactions and our pledge to use our skills and resources to actively eliminate racism and advance the production of knowledge for social justice.