Black Lives Matter
Lightoller supports the Black Lives Matter movement. The recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery highlight the racism and inequities in the United States. Early career researchers are directly affected by social injustice, and it is crucial that organizations in the research enterprise support both our researchers and the greater society in which we exist in this time by reacting as quickly as possible to these sorts of situations. I know that statements such as these are not enough: I promise to continue to do all I can to challenge and change systems of inequity that perpetuate racism and bias within research, and to support and uplift the work of others doing so. I demand better for our community, and for the future of our society.
For a general overview of actions you can take, I can suggest the “Taking Action in Solidarity with Minneapolis” page from Indivisible. For general further reading, please take a look at the Urban Institute’s “Structural Racism in America”.
In terms of STEM-based/academic reading, there is a “Decolonizing STEM” reading list maintained by Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein. She suggests that, for context, you first read “Making Meaning of “Decolonising””. For more expertise and updated information, please follow the #BLACKandSTEM hashtag and Twitter account run by Dr. Stephanie Page; follow Black researchers and listen to and read of their experiences; and then take action. For tools, research and curricula please see Racial Equity Tools.
There is a lot of work to be done in the academy, and in the research enterprise generally. For example, black researchers are less likely to get NIH funding than researchers from other racial groups, and NIH has demonstrated little progress in addressing the problem. A recent article, “Beyond Inquiry: Towards the Specificity of Anti-Blackness Studies in STEM Education” gives insight into anti-Blackness in STEM teaching and learning. I will continue working with and supporting others on addressing issues such as these.
Black Lives Matter.
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