Black Lives Matter

The scientific community has been slow to act against the many forms of anti-Blackness. Our de facto inaction has limited the participation and success of Black men and women in our fields as undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and faculty. Even the peer review process yields differential outcomes for Black scientists. In the process, we have contributed to a pernicious myth that the capacity for science and scientific authority is white, or anything but Black…

We must recognize how our own actions contribute to the culture that allows unforgivable police brutality to persist. In the academic environment, implicit bias and microaggressions, and even explicit racism, remain rampant and consequential, contributing to the low recruitment and retention of Black scientists. The absence of a clear and systematic commitment to the mentoring and professional success of Black faculty and students also remains a significant challenge. Not talking about these challenges because it makes us uncomfortable is no longer an option. We can do better. We must do better.

[ Read full message from the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the School of Biological Sciences ]

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