Black in Immuno Week: Who We Are, What We Did, and Why It Matters.

Abstract

Our organization, Black in Immuno (@BlackInImmuno), was formed in September 2020 to celebrate, support, and amplify Black voices in immunology when social media campaigns like #BlackInTheIvory illuminated the shared overt and covert issues of systemic racism faced by Black researchers in all facets of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Black in Immuno was cofounded by a group of Black immunology trainees working at multiple institutions globally: Joël Babdor, E. Evonne Jean, Elaine Kouame, Alexis S. Mobley, Justine C. Noel, and Madina Wane. We devised Black in Immuno Week, held November 22-28, 2020, as a global celebration of Black immunologists. The week was designed to advocate for increased diversity and accessibility in immunology, amplify Black excellence in immunology, and create a community of Black immunologists who can support each other to flourish despite barriers in academia and other job sectors. The week contained live panels and scientific talks, a casual networking mixer, online advocacy and amplification sessions, and a series of wellness events. Our live-streamed programs reached over 300 individuals, and thousands of people kept the conversations going globally using #BlackInImmuno and #BlackInImmunoWeek on social media from five continents. Below, we highlight the events and significant takeaways of the week.