We stand in solidarity with the Black members of our community whose paths within academia and society have been challenged by structural racism and oppression. We see and vehemently oppose the blatant acts of ongoing police brutality. More broadly, we condemn the systemic and structural racism that allows for the excessive use of force and the lack of accountability of those in positions of power. We specifically acknowledge the daily adversity, the cognitive overload, the exhaustion, and the challenges that our Black colleagues, staff, faculty, and students face. 

Science suffers from a lack of diversity across the many communities and levels in our society. This is unacceptable and actively harmful to scientific inquiry and beyond. To increase the sense of belonging within the scientific community, we must stand with its marginalized groups. 

We will have failed in our mission statement as science communicators if we do not take the time to reflect on our own implicit biases. We pledge to reassess our strategy as a science communication platform in light of these current events. We are committed to increasing diversity and amplifying Black, Brown, LGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented voices through our online presence. We will highlight the issues surrounding diversity in STEM fields in future articles, long after this moment in current events passes in the public eye. Commitment to diversity is a lifelong effort. Our silence in a time of need, our hesitation in a time of action, our doubts in a time of crisis: we must do better. We urge all of our community members to commit to anti-racism and to educate ourselves on the systemic injustices present in academia and our society.

-The Ethogram Team