An Invitation to Community and Understanding

Today we say his name in grief. Wadea Al-Fayoume.

Only six years old, Wadea, of Plainfield, Illinois, was killed and his mother gravely injured in a heinous anti-Muslim hate crime. As Wadea was laid to rest his uncle, Yousef, offered this mournful plea, “we’re not bringing war here, too.” 

Though the war, in its strictest sense, has not reached our campuses, the effects of the war have—grief, fear, feelings of helplessness. Still, unbowed, we wonder what we can do. And in that wondering, we turn to our work as DEI leaders at Northwestern.

 IDEA Leaders, the questions we are asking ourselves in this moment are inherently DEI questions. And they are, importantly, questions rooted in our collective desire to foster a sense of belonging for our entire Northwestern community.

 For instance:

• How do we affirm the realities of those impacted by the horrific violence of the last 10 days? How do we mourn and grieve collectively? How can we support our communities in their grieving, even when our grief stems from different losses? 
• How do we affirm the racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities of all of our community members? How do we make them feel seen, heard, and provide them with a sense of belonging on our campus—now and in the future? 
• How do we acknowledge histories of violence and social and political oppression that have shaped our current moment? How do we make sense of the complexity of these issues, especially when they make us feel uncomfortable, angry, or despondent? How do we understand the language being used, especially when there is not universal agreement on how to properly name things that happen (e.g., resistance versus terrorism)?
• How do we talk to one another across our differences, particularly when we are deeply in pain? How do we disagree when the topics being discussed are personal and directly connected to our identities and our lived experiences? How do we make space to learn and engage with empathy when we feel so polarized? 

 We believe asking these questions in our communities is the first step on our path forward. These questions speak to our pedagogical mission in which, together, we engage in listening and learning from one another, with empathy, even or perhaps especially when it is difficult. As DEI leaders at Northwestern, we ask you to join us in navigating through the work these questions require of us.

 Wadea’s mother, Hanna Shahin, stated, “let’s pray for peace,” before she and her son were attacked. She invited community and understanding. We hope we can follow her lead.

Robin R. Means Coleman, Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer and Michelle Manno, Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion

View official statements from President Biden and Governor Pritzker.