"Otherness" at IMC in Leeds: An Open Letter

Past-President, Sixteenth-Century Society and Conference Past-President, Renaissance Society of America Clarence L. Ver Steeg Professor in the Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinoius

Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts, University of Pittsburgh

Associate professor, University of Tromsø, Norway

It's hard to see how one's actions look from the outside, but IMC's had a chance to see it. An active, inclusive, and effective response is needed.

Assistant Professor of Art History, Memphis College of Art, Memphis TN USA

Associate Professor of French, Penn State Altoona

Memorial University of Newfoundland

The more we make medieval and Renaissance studies for the elite only, the more damage we do to our world's understanding of history, art, science, language, and so forth. The more diverse we make our research and the more we welcome into this vast field of study, the better we will understand our world today.

University of Freiburg, Germany

I stand shoulder to shoulder with all the comrades struggling to stamp out the ugly face of white supremacy from all society. We will not rest until fascists like Axel Muller have been liquidated!

Assistant Curator of Manuscripts The J. Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles, CA

Standing with my medievalist colleagues seems to be highly important right now. Well done to all those taking action and writing about these issues.

Dr Jenna Mead Senior Honorary Fellow University of Western Australia

Independent who works on medieval Anglo-Jewry.

University of Rochester, NY, where I teach Northwestern and European Medieval Vernacular literature. It appears that ignorance and socio-political "deafness" can strike even well-meaning people seemingly educated in progressive agendas. This petition instructs them. And us. And for that I forgive Prof. Muller his tasteless joke. What happened in Charlottesville later on is a rude awakening to the voluntary socio-political deafness of not-so-well-meaning people who scoff at steps taken to end racism, bigotry, and misogyny. There are simply some ideologies that are better than others. Awareness, respect for, and inclusion of diverse groups has to occur on the micro-level and not just the macro. Thank you for circulating.

So important that the IMC organisers engage with this letter in ways that bring about the maximum, not minimum amount of change

Lecturer in Old and Middle English at University College, Oxford

Let's raise awareness and support diversity

Isn't it interesting to see someone with a name like "Axel Mulller" trying to finish off the job his forefathers failed to do? After Charlottesville, the world should know that the only place that these Nazis will be allowed is in Hell!

Such an action is welcome to make sure everybody, even persons of colour, can have their own voice heard in academia.