Anti-Racism Resources for Biology Departments

Statement of Solidarity

Violence and injustice against the Black community continually unfolds before us.  Again over the last few weeks, terrible crimes, including the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have shaken our nation.  These acts, and the vast multitude of such acts of violence and injustice that have preceded them and continue after them, remind us that we have very far to go to dismantle the inherent racism and inequity that has been built into the structure of our society.  The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) stands together with all who oppose the violence, injustice, and structural inequities that are so prevalent in our nation.  We recognize that systemic racism has shaped a culture in which people of color are denied opportunity, employment, education, and even life.  The institutions of higher education for which we work as individuals and with which we work as participants in PULSE programs are part of the culture of inequity.  PULSE is an organization dedicated to improving educational institutions and programs, so that all people can learn and successfully contribute to our society.  We take seriously our responsibility to create and maintain an environment committed to the appreciation of diversity, the fostering of inclusion, and the pursuit of equity in PULSE as an organization, and to ensure that our programs promote these same values at the institutions with which we work.  We commit ourselves, as individuals and as an organization, to confront and remedy racism and unconscious bias in PULSE and to improve our programs so that they can help departments and institutions eliminate inequity and injustice as they seek to improve their teaching and learning.  As a first step, PULSE commits to examining and revising our programs so that a focus on equity and inclusion is clear.  In addition, we will begin the hard work of anti-racism by confronting the unconscious biases and White Privilege among the Fellows in PULSE who identify as White by seeking specific training that focuses on anti-racist principles. Those of us who do not share the racial identities of those so deeply impacted by the systemic biases and inequities commit to educate ourselves about these biases that our colleagues and students experience on a daily basis, so we can better foster the wellbeing and safety of all.  We also stand in solidarity with the protesters throughout the country exercising our First Amendment rights and with the call for a truly equitable nation that values and supports each individual within it. We loudly support Black Lives Matter in the demand for justice, equity, and social change.

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