A Statement of Support from Science Says
Science Says strives to be an inclusive community, which means that we need to use our science communication platforms and voices to build a more just world that respects people of all backgrounds and experiences. As an organization, we are committed to diversity in STEM, which means that we also must be committed to being actively anti-racist. We call on you, the members of our community, to broaden your understanding of social justice issues and to open dialogues with colleagues, family, and friends. This is a time of reckoning for us to all examine the ways in which we can actively advocate for justice.
As scientists, we like to think that we are impartial gatherers and disseminators of objective data. But we recognize that science is steeped in the surrounding culture, and this dictates the kind of questions that scientists feel are worth investigating, the subjects society deems worthy of funding, the methods considered ethical, who has access to the data, and who has the opportunities in life to attain the education required to become a scientist.
As communicators, we make choices about which information and which voices we choose to amplify. We must all educate ourselves and examine our own assumptions, cognitive biases, and knowledge gaps.
We cannot stay silent while Black scientists and the Black community are reeling with grief and outrage. We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, neighbors, and friends against systemic racism, marginalization, repression, inequities, injustices, and discrimination.
Sydney Wyatt, Co-President
Rosalie Sinclair, Co-President
Lindsey Mooney, Treasurer
Mary Madera, Secretary
Hanna Bartram, Program Coordinator
Dr. Pamela Ronald, Faculty Advisor
For more resources:
CapSciComm’s statement
SacBee article for local resources
Statement from Chancellor Gary S. May
List of Black science communicators
For donations to vetted organizations
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