One of the central values that motivated the founding of NAAPE was to provide a place of welcoming community and meaningful dialogue with people of diverse cultural, philosophical, ethnic and social backgrounds. In creating such an organization, the Executive Committee believed it was important to provide a physical space for genuine hospitality in a residential conference environment. We believed that this would help facilitate the mutual exchange of ideas in sessions, over the dinner table and over a glass of wine at socials. We also hoped that the cross-pollination of perspectives in these settings would create genuine and lasting collegial relationships that go beyond traditional academic categories. NAAPE’s hope and goal is that no person would leave the conference feeling silenced, ignored or unwelcomed. 

In light of recent events, the Executive Committee has recognized that there is more to be done to make this hope and goal come true. We think this is especially the case for people who have experienced overt or covert racism, as well as for other groups who have been effectively disenfranchised or marginalized. As we mention in our inclusion statement, we both reject and are committed to working against manifestations of racism, and especially anti-black racism. To this end, the Executive Committee is planning the following measures, which we are adopting in a spirit of intellectual humility and a commitment to growth. 

• Beginning on June 10th, the Executive Committee has initiated a reflective process in which we are systematically examining the various structures in place at the conference and within the NAAPE organization. In particular, we are asking the question of how NAAPE can be more inclusive of marginalized groups and counteract potentially racist practices. As a part of this process, the Executive Committee, which is racially, culturally and socially diverse, is beginning a regularly occurring dialogue in which we listen to the experiences and challenges that especially those from marginalized backgrounds may have faced. Our goal in these dialogues is to better understand how academic conferences and societies can alienate and marginalize the members they are supposed to serve, whether intentionally or unintentionally. As the dialogues occur, the Executive Committee hopes to ensure our conference minimizes such alienation and marginalization.

• In addition, NAAPE is planning to hold workshops or symposia at our 2021 conference on various aspects of racism and the way it has impacted the educational experience of marginalized groups in North America and around the world. Our hope is to address several distinct aspects of racism in education in order to provide opportunities for participants to learn about how it impacts areas relevant to their research (curriculum, school safety, hiring practices, philosophical research, choice of subject matter, etc.). 

• Another step NAAPE plans to take regards the participants of NAAPE symposia and its keynote choices. From its founding, NAAPE has striven to invite women, people of color as well as people of other diverse backgrounds to participate as Executive Committee members, keynotes, symposium presenters, and workshop presenters. NAAPE intends to redouble its efforts on this front and seeks the wider membership’s help. We invite any member of NAAPE to forward names of scholars and practitioners of color in philosophy and education for potential keynotes, symposiasts and Executive Committee members.

• In this spirit, NAAPE generally encourages any member of NAAPE to contact the Executive Committee if they have feedback, suggestions or insights regarding how we can best implement any of the above measures or improve the inclusiveness of our conference. Our email address is executive@naape.org.

NAAPE’s primary mission is to provide a welcoming and hospitable conference community, in which topics regarding philosophy and education broadly conceived are discussed among people who engage critically but charitably with each other’s ideas. As a part of this mission, we also realize the importance of playing a role in combatting both racist and ideological forces that work to destroy the possibility of such community and work to undermine the educational opportunities that all deserve.