Standing Together

The University of Wisconsin System Women and Science (WaS) Program has been promoting equity, inclusion and diversity in STEM education for over 20 years. Through our workshops, grants, and conferences we have worked to breakdown the systemic barriers that limit participation, equity, and advancement of women and underrepresented peoples in STEM. The devastating acts of racial violence that continue to plague our nation cannot continue. For far too long, millions of Americans have been and continue to be treated differently based on race alone. Individuals of color, especially in STEM, carry these burdens not just outside the doors of our higher education institutions but in all aspects of their lives including their careers.

We acknowledge and stand against systemic racism. We share our commitment to continue to work against it and encourage you to join us. Being silent will only continue to perpetuate the systemic racism that has plagued our country and higher education institutions.

The Women and Science program reaffirms our commitment to foster equity and excellence in the scientific community. We encourage you to take a stand against racism. It is all of our responsibility to do so. Attend a training on bias, microaggressions, or inclusive teaching. Foster change by applying what you learned to mentor a student of color or influence equitable and inclusive hiring practices. Take the time you would work on research to educate yourself about racism in academia. Reach out to your Center for Teaching on campus. There are numerous of ways to educate yourself and get involved.

We will continue to share and provide resources in the weeks ahead for your active participation.

In solidarity,

UW System Women and Science Program

Helpful links and Articles

• It’s Time for Environmental Studies to Own Up to Erasing Black People
• People of Color Experience Climate More Deeply than White People
• Coronavirus Death Rates Are a Direct Result of Environmental Racism
• The Long Environmental Justice Movement
• According to environmental law scholar Jedidiah Purdy, white-led conservatism continues to sit in tension with the environmental protection of communities of color. As a result, mainstream environmental scholarship reflects the interests of the mostly white and wealthy—at the exclusion of the lived experiences of people of color and Indigenous folks.
• The Green Insider’s Club –
• According to the 2014 Green 2.0 report, people of color comprise 36 percent of the U.S. population, but account for only 12 to16 percent of the staff of environmental organizations, and it’s been like that for decades. A 2019 update shows that diversity has actually declined in recent years.
• Systemic racism: science must listen, learn and change (Nature Article)
• UW Madison Website 
• UW Madison F&S EDIC
• https://serc.carleton.edu/advancegeo/resources/covid-19.html
• https://serc.carleton.edu/advancegeo/resources/virtual.html
•  “Time Scavengers”  https://timescavengers.blog/   Includes a “Meet the Scientist” tab that highlights diverse scientists:  women, PoC, LGBTQ+ and others.
• Race and Racism in the Geosciences (Dutt, 2020): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0519-z
• https://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/musings/NSFdata2017.html
• These two articles deal with broader issues in academia with the experiences of Native American students:
  • https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1087&context=jcshesa 
  • https://www.hcn.org/issues/52.4/indigenous-affairs-education-land-grab-universities

Book List

• Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini
• Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, & Identity by Winona Guo & Priya Vulchi
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice from White People by D. L. Hughley
• White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson