August 25, 2020

Dear Open Letter Signatories,

Many thanks for your thoughtful assessment of two ongoing matters facing ASOR—the racist overtones of its name and the lack of diversity within the organization. Your letter cogently lays out some of our problems concerning these issues, many of which the ASOR Board of Trustees and officers have been wrestling with for some time.

As I think most of you know, in November of 2019, outgoing President Susan Ackerman and I began to form an Ad Hoc Committee to seriously consider changing ASOR’s name. The two principal issues in our charge were 1. Could we in good conscience continue to use “Oriental”, with its increasing racist connotations, in our name? and 2. Could we identify a name that better describes ASOR’s work, mission, and values as they have evolved since its founding in 1900?

The Ad Hoc Committee has been hard at work since January. By the time I received your letter on July 27, they had polled the membership twice and written interim reports to the Board and membership. They were scheduled to make a final report to the Board at its April 2021 meeting, but the events of this spring and summer have added urgency to the matter.

An initial analysis of the data the committee gathered confirmed that there is strong support among the membership for removing “Oriental” from the organization’s name, but no consensus, or even a plurality, emerged about what to do next. The Board of Trustees met on August 19 to consider next steps. It unanimously recommended to remove “Oriental” from ASOR’s name and to begin the legal steps necessary to do so—it’s a process, including a vote by the membership. In the meantime, the organization will simply be known as ASOR. On August 20, I informed the membership of the Board’s decision via an e-mail letter.

The Board further instructed the Ad Hoc Committee to submit a final report suggesting a slate of modified or new names for the organization. After considering the committee’s report the Board will ask the full membership to vote on a new or modified name of the organization. Our goal at this juncture is for the vote to take place in September.

The broader DEI issues within ASOR, specifically racial diversity, were also discussed by the Board during the August 19 meeting. Our shortcomings are obvious on this; how to fix them is not. The good news is that, prior to receiving your letter, positive change was underway. We had already been engaged in discussions about possible solutions in the Chairs Coordinating Council. The ASOR standing committees, in their work on ASOR’s next strategic plan (2021-25) are hard at work crafting committee and organizational action items to promote racial diversity within ASOR, many of which are in line with the recommendations in your letter. Also, I am in the process of assembling a DEI Task Force, whose charge will include serious consideration of the points raised in your letter, including whether to establish a permanent standing committee. This is with a view toward crafting practical and workable plans to achieve the goals outlined in your letter—again, it’s a process. When the Task Force Chair, or co-chairs, is in place, I will make an open call for nominations to serve on it. I hope some of you will volunteer for the job. The DEI Task Force is slated to report its preliminary findings and recommendations to the Board at its 2021 spring meeting. Whether as a member of the DEI Task Force, or a rank-and-file ASOR member, I trust that you will pledge your time, your talents, and your resources to achieve the DEI goals set for ASOR in your letter.

Again, thank you a for raising your concerns to the Board. These are crucial matters that we all believe need action. I look forward to working with you to formulate and carry out an effective plan to address these issues.

Sincerely,

Sharon Herbert
ASOR President