The American Council of Learned Societies, an organization of which ASOR is member, issued a statement this past week on the role humanistic studies play in fostering equity and justice in society (). ASOR applauds and supports the ACLS statement. As a collective of humanistic scholars and seekers of knowledge about societies in areas far removed from our own time and place, ASOR adheres to the fundamental humanitarian values of fostering equity and justice as it is eloquently formulated by the ACLS. Black lives matter everywhere and always. ASOR deplores racial injustice in all its forms and actively seeks to foster an atmosphere of inclusivity in all our endeavors both in the U.S. and abroad. To that end this past February as we were formulating the goals of our post 2020 strategic plan, we agreed to form an ad hoc committee on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. More news on this committee will follow on this page as we develop our program.