Black Lives Matter

We are heartbroken at the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and many others, and we condemn police brutality in all forms. Black lives matter. Fighting for change in unjust systems is at the core of our mission to promote inclusive science and, frankly, we are ashamed that we have not done more. 

We hope that our audience will join us in taking action to help our communities (or department, lab, team, workplace, family) be anti-racist and support and promote Black peers, students, mentors, faculty, friends, and community members. Many in our audience are at an early career stage, and may not have much experience speaking with people in power to confront racist behavior or implement new anti-racist initiatives. We challenge our non-Black friends to get comfortable being uncomfortable and speak up anyways, recognizing that not everyone has the privilege of silence. 
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Going forward we commit to featuring more Black scientists, engineers, and leaders on our podcast episodes and other platforms. Below, we have linked a few resources for ways you can join us in donating, learning, and action.

​Yours,
Sally + Kayla

Actions

• What is the currency in your field? Citations, speaking invitations, awards, mentorship, funding, fellowships? Give those things to Black scholars.
• Give your Black mentees extra flexibility, space, and support during this especially difficult time
• Donate to organizations supporting Black learners and leaders in your field
• Volunteer to support Black students or receive career support from this network yourself to apply for grad school and fellowships, career guidance, CV/resume feedback, etc.
• Some actions labs or academic leaders/societies can take to support Black mentees or peers (from Lesley Weaver, PhD)

Resources and data

• Low representation of African Americans in STEM fields where “brilliance” is considered necessary for success - Scientific American

• Missing Black faculty: underrepresentation of Black faculty at US public universities - Inside Higher Ed (commentary/summary) and Educational Reports (peer-reviewed)
• STEM podcasts from Black creators
• More places to donate and learn