We stand with the black community

[RoboMarth]

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’re probably wondering what Scioly.org has anything to do with this. The truth is closer than we may think.

Racism remains very much alive today. Policies that once discriminated against “African Americans” have been scribbled out, and replaced with policies targeting “criminals,” “the needy,” “uneducated Americans,” or “high-risk individuals.” Racism lives inside systems: within laws, businesses, and schools, it tears at the heart of black communities, even in the absence of racist people. Often, this racism hides beneath the surface, but recent events show that the monster is very real.

In light of the tragedies of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Mike Ramos, and countless others, Scioly.org stands in solidarity with the black community. We support their movements to peacefully grieve and protest violence, oppression, racism, and police brutality. We recognize our responsibility to speak against discrimination and condemn all forms of racism, including the racism living within systems themselves.

We’ll be honest though: we realize science struggles with diversity and inclusion. America’s segregated school system lets the best schools serve a select suburban elite, while other more diverse schools go chronically underfunded—a system where the privilege of experiencing science and Science Olympiad belongs to only a few. Science Olympiad is near and dear to the hearts of oh-so many of us, but sadly, the truth remains that black students face formidable challenges to entering science.

That’s where you come in. Yes, you can help! Being anti-racist needs commitment: it’s not about whose Instagram has the darkest black square, nor is it about who has the most black friends. We pledge to actively uphold a lifelong commitment to learning, unlearning, empathizing, and advocating on behalf of the black community. We will read books, watch films, and teach ourselves about racism. Here are some anti-racism resources we suggest. We’ve also started a thread where you can discuss these topics in more detail.

After all, that’s why we do science. Science is about progress—and about people.