We at ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830 strongly condemn the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and our fellow Black Americans Breonna Taylor and Ahmad Aubrey, the most recent victims of the long history of brutality, hate, and systemic prejudice. Further, we condemn the legacy and language of white supremacy that has de-centered the lives, experiences, knowledge, and creative contributions of Black men and women to American history and culture. We affirm our strong support for all our Black brothers and sisters and all who have been victimized and marginalized due to ignorance and discrimination. We also believe deeply in the power of knowledge as a vehicle for positive social change and scholarship as a means for equitable social justice.

As an open access journal founded on feminist principles and focusing on women’s artistic production, ABO’s editorial collective is committed to review and publication practices that are open and inclusive. Much more needs to be done together. We will continue to reach out to scholars from underrepresented communities to encourage and support them. We also commit to seeking out and publishing work that interrogates and reveals the causes, histories, and narratives of the harmful intersections of patriarchy, sexism, racism, slavery, colonialism, and gender discrimination in the time period and areas of scholarship designated by our journal’s mission.