Diversity in Physics

The images of George Floyd's murder, which have horrified and enraged citizens around the world, serve as a chilling reminder of the long history and deep scars of systemic anti-black racism that permeate our society. 

We share in the rage and sorrow and acknowledge our own tacit complicity to the legacy of racism and injustice. 

We commit to reflect and listen, to learn from our Black colleagues, and to stay vigilant and aware of all forms of racism and inequity that persist in academia and in our communities.

We pledge to be proactive and work together to dismantle the many structural barriers that continue to limit access, representation, and diversity in science, and more broadly, in academia. 

#BlackLivesMatter

 

Here is a list of selected readings about this topic.

In addtion, our particle physics colleagues across the country have organized to stop all work this Wednesday as a call for anti-racism action NOW https://www.particlesforjustice.org/!

There is great solidarity across our physics community both in mourning and rage but also in a strong call for action. My own reservation - and the reason I pondered this for a few days - is with calling this a "strike"  rather than a "protest and call for action" - this probably has to do with my experiences with strikes in the old country.

If you wish to learn more, you can watch the 2016 documentary "I Am Not Your Negro" based on James Boldwin's work online. It's an important piece in my view and there are many others.

 

Boston University’s founders opened its doors to all students without regard to religion, race, or gender. Building and sustaining a vibrant community of scholars, students, and staff remains essential to our mission of contributing to, and preparing students to thrive in, an increasingly interconnected world.

We strive to create environments for learning, working, and living that are enriched by racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. We seek to cultivate an atmosphere of respect for individual differences in life experience, sexual orientation, and religious belief, and we aspire to be free of intellectual parochialism, barriers to access, and ethnocentrism.

Success in a competitive, global milieu depends upon our ongoing commitment to welcome and engage the wisdom, creativity, and aspirations of all peoples. The excellence we seek emerges from the contributions and talents of every member of the Boston University community.