To diversify or not to diversify, that is the question. 

Students at the University of Pennsylvania took it upon themselves to do a bit of redecorating earlier this month in the English Department. First thing to go, a long-time portrait of William Shakespeare. To liven up the space, with a more relatable literary revolutionary, the group put a picture of Audre Lorde in the place of Shakespeare. 

“Students removed the Shakespeare portrait and delivered it to my office as a way of affirming their commitment to a more inclusive mission for the English department,” Penn English professor and Department Chair Jed Esty wrote in an email to students, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Etsy also said that the department had voted to replace the playwright's photo and include more diverse writers and literary figures. A few years have passed since the initial vote. 

Lorde, known for tackling themes derived in class, gender, race, and social inequality, challenged archaic views on black women and sexuality.

The department plans to leave the photo of Lorde until a final decision is made. Honestly..truly. What more is there to decide? The students have spoken.

"When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak." -Audre Lorde

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