The late Congressman John Lewis once said, “When you see something that is not fair, not right, not just, you must have the courage to stand up, to speak up and find a way
to get in the way. You must find a way to get in the way. You must find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble."

The year 2020 has brought about its fair share of challenges and has made many of us reexamine our choices. We find ourselves in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, racial unrest and what many would consider an uncertain future. This year has ushered in turbulent triumphs and troubles. However, this year has also empowered and inspired. It has motivated us to do more. More listening, more reflecting, more engaging and more acting with purpose and intent. During this time, I began to ask myself, what “good trouble” am I willing to get into? What choices will I make in these times of uncertainty? What impact will I have in my community, at Purdue University and in this world? What more could I do? The We Support Black Engineers Campaign was an answer to some of these questions for me.

What does it mean to be Black? What does it mean to be an engineer? What does it mean to be a Black engineer? Why do we need Black engineers? This campaign aims to shed light on the lived experiences of Black engineering students, faculty, staff and alumni of Purdue University and answer those very questions. It aims to educate, promote allyship and showcase a community of supporters.

You will hear stories from proud Black Purdue Boilermakers. However, you will also hear stories from those who struggle to exist in their melanated skin. These stories are real, they are powerful and they call us to action. We hope you sit with these stories. We hope you listen to them with open minds and open hearts.

Racial injustice towards underrepresented populations in our nation’s history is not a new phenomenon. Racial injustice toward the Black or African American community is not a new phenomenon. It is not a new cultural trend or just a hashtag. Its origin is deep rooted, deep seated and deeply complicated. For far too long these issues have not had the prominent placement they deserve. It is a delicate dance for sure. However, now is the time to get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations, much needed conversations. Conversations that are going to contribute to moving the needle forward, conversations that are going to advocate for change.

In Purdue Engineering, we have taken many steps towards pursuing racial equity and creating a more inclusive environment.  We have also had some missteps along the way. However, we are digging deep to evaluate what we are doing well and where we can improve. We are reviewing admissions and recruitment policies and procedures. We are revisiting how we do strategic partnerships, faculty recruitment and retention. We are developing training and curriculum for diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. Most importantly, we are holding ourselves accountable to be more aware, more engaged and more committed to building an inclusive environment. Now is the time to take the next giant leap! Now is the time to jump from leaps to bounds.  What we make here moves the world forward, but we cannot move forward without you, all of you, all of us, together to make a better Purdue!