Solidarity Statement
Scientific Slug’s Statement on Diversity – May 1, 2021
We want to make our stance as an organization clear. Scientific Slug is an anti-racist organization.
Our nation is founded on unjust and inhumane actions which are rooted in racist beliefs. These shameful beliefs reappear and consistently manifest in violent ways as seen with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others under-acknowledged by mainstream media.
The hostile act of colonization and Native removal from the land, even that which UC Santa Cruz is built on, is one of the many conversations mainstream media fails to discuss.
We would like to acknowledge that we receive our education from an institution built on stolen Uypi territory. The seizure of Indigenous lands was and never is justifiable.
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified bigoted beliefs against Asians and Pacific Islanders, and also illuminated the many normalized systemic inequalities impacting all People of Color. The systemic oppression of and violence against these communities is unacceptable and the voices of the marginalized must be amplified in order to enact change.
The scientific community, in spite of its claims of objectivity and neutrality, is part of the problem too. The STEM community has failed to upkeep its values by allowing racially charged beliefs to plague our community—even to this day. Centuries of racial injustice have bestowed advantages to scientists who hold privilege—as white, heterosexual, cisgender, and/or male—and too often that goes unrecognized and taken for granted. People of Color are underfunded and under-resourced in STEM, both as students and as researchers, resulting in severe, but often unnoticed under-representation in STEM departments. That lack of diversity harms People of Color and is therefore detrimental to us all. We believe that the best science is conducted through the collaboration of individuals from all places and upbringings.
Scientific Slug’s core mission is to engage with our community through creative works and journalism about science. That mission cannot be achieved if the scientific community is not all-inclusive. In the past, we have not always done our part to act in solidarity with anti-racism, and we formally apologize for that neglect. Scientific Slug refuses to stay neutral and complicit in the silencing of voices.
In that interest, Scientific Slug is committing to the following actions:
- Continuing to strive to provide a safe and respectful space for our members
- Continuing to educate ourselves and others on racism and anti-racism by doing the research, having difficult conversations, and looking inward.
- Supporting the anti-racist work of our peers in SOMeCA
- Using our platform to uplift underrepresented voices
- Remaining open and responsive to criticism
We will do our part to foster a community fueled by diversity by upholding these commitments.
UCSC Resources:
- African American Resource and Cultural Center
- American Indian Resource Center
- Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center
- Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE)
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
- Cultural Arts & Diversity Resource Center
- Disability Resource Center (DRC)
- Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP)
- El Centro: Chicanx Latinx Resource Center
- First Generation Initiative
- Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives (HSI)
- Lionel Cantú Queer Center
- SOMeCA Organizations
- Women’s Center
Authors: Scientific Slug Staff (Spring 2021)
*This statement was released in May 2021. We’d like to acknowledge that this is overdue.