Important Reflections on Current Events, Racial Challenges in Geosciences and Future Opportunities

June 5, 2020
 
 
Dear Geoscience Community,
 
As we stand in solidarity against the systemic racism that persists in our country, we are committed as faculty to harness the power of our leadership for concrete actions to combat injustice and build an inclusive geoscience community.
 
This begins with a responsibility to educate ourselves about the barriers that Black people face in STEM, examine and interrogate our own biases, and take concrete actions to diversify our field.  As such, we have compiled some resources and recommended readings to begin this work as a community. 
 
  1. 500 Women Scientists has compiled a good list of how you can communicate your support for #BlackLivesMatter: https://500womenscientists.org/updates/2020/6/1/take-action
  2. Here you will find a few short articles about representation in the Geosciences (Gillette + Bernard & Cooperdock). One article is from 1972, the other from 2018, yet they both speak to the same issue: there are far too few People of Color in Geosciences, and even fewer Black people, across all levels (particularly at the faculty level).
  3. Some active steps that we can take to promote diversity in Geosciences can be found here: https://eos.org/opinions/promoting-racial-diversity-in-geoscience-through-transparency 
We also have a more comprehensive list of articles, books, and website links in the following Google Doc if you would like to read more:
 
We welcome your suggestions for items to add to this list.  We are working to compile these online resources, other key literature, and book excerpts for our community to use as an evolving, long-term resource.
 
Finally, as we work to develop concrete action items to foster inclusive excellence in our department, we want to hear from each of you. We will be in touch to set up a series of listening sessions to solicit your ideas and input.
 
We wish you safety and peace in these challenging times,
 
Geosciences Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
 

The Department of Geosciences is commmited to diversity, justice, and anti-racism. Read more about our commitment to removing structural barriers in admissions, hiring, and degree requirements as well as mentoring for inclusivity in our upcoming newsletter.