Equity and Inclusion
SU Physics Department Diversity and Inclusion Statement:
“Our mission is to drive discovery in physics and its related fields, to educate the next generation of physicists, and to convey the excitement and importance of scientific discovery to the community at large. Our capacity to advance this mission hinges critically on a diverse and inclusive physics community---a community in which every individual, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, veteran status, disability, nationality, political or religious views, or position within the department, is treated with dignity and respect, and their contributions are valued. We acknowledge that a history of unequal access has homogenized our field, thus limiting the scope of discovery and education. We, therefore, commit to increasing the numbers of underrepresented faculty, students, and staff in our department and to enhance inclusivity by insuring equal access to opportunities and resources and fostering a welcoming and positive workplace culture so that every physics student and faculty and staff member can fully realize their potential and contribute to the success of our mission.
We also support the Diversity Statement put forth by the American Physical Society.”
Reading material to work towards equity, inclusion, and diversity at SU Physics and beyond
How white academics can do better:
- https://medium.com/the-faculty/white-academia-do-better-fa96cede1fc5
- https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BlackInTheIvory&src=typed_query
This APS Team-Up Report has data regarding the percentage of Black physicists in the US:
How to show support for Black lives:
- https://www.theodysseyonline.com/how-support-blm-non-black-person
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/opinion/whites-anti-blackness-protests.html
- https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234
Anti-racist resources:
Dealing with privilege and bias:
- “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
- “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh: https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf
- “35 Dumb Things Well-Intended People Say” by Maura Cullen: http://www.mauracullen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/35-Dumb-Things-Well-Intended-People-Say-Dr.-Maura-Cullen.pdf
The following books are discussions of racism intended for white audiences:
- “Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It” by Shelly Tochluk: https://www.amazon.com/Witnessing-Whiteness-Need-About-Second/dp/1607092573
- "Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race” by Debby Irving: https://www.amazon.com/Waking-White-Finding-Myself-Story/dp/0991331303
- “White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo: https://www.amazon.com/White-Fragility-People-About-Racism/dp/0807047414
- “Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People” by Banaji and Greenwald <https://www.amazon.com/Blindspot-Hidden-Biases-Good-People-ebook/dp/B004J4WJUC
Dismantling systemic racism:
- “Dismantling institutional racism: theory and action” by D. Griffith, et al.: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1007/s10464-007-9117-0
Police oversight:
- “Academic societies’ role in curbing police brutality” by Phillips and Weissman: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6497/1322.1/tab-pdf
- #8cantwait is a set of eight policy changes to decrease police violence by 72%: https://8cantwait.org/