Abstract
Geoscience is plagued with structural and systemic barriers that prevent people of historically excluded groups from fully participating in, contributing to, and accruing the benefits of geosciences. A change in the culture of our learning and working environments is required to dismantle barriers and promote belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our field. Inspired by a session organized at the 2020 Ocean Sciences Meeting, the goal of this paper is to provide a consolidated summary of a few innovative and broadening participation initiatives that are being led by various stakeholders in academia (e.g., students, faculty, administrative leaders) at different institutional levels (e.g., universities, professional societies). The authors hope that the strategies outlined in this paper will inspire the coastal, ocean, and marine science community to take individual and collective actions that lead to a positive culture change.
Highlights
Over the past few years, abundant news articles reporting violence against communities of color in America have spurred members of the geoscience community to pay much-needed attention to promoting belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our disciplines, including in the coastal, ocean, and marine sciences
As we look ahead to the emerging research challenges of the twenty-first century, the COM science enterprise will need its own Branch Rickeys and innovative models of engagement and retention to help support a new generation of scientists and leaders
Robust action is required at multiple levels to improve the recruitment, participation, and retention of people from historically excluded groups in the COM science enterprise
Summary
Over the past few years, abundant news articles reporting violence against communities of color in America have spurred members of the geoscience community to pay much-needed attention to promoting belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our disciplines, including in the coastal, ocean, and marine sciences (e.g., see antiracism initiatives No Time for Silence, Call for a Robust Anti-Racism Plan for The Geosciences, Unlearning Racism in Geoscience, and Black in Marine Science, among others). Bold new paradigms and models are needed to create working and learning climates where all can thrive, both personally and professionally. We will all benefit by creating a scientific and professional culture that offers its workforce exciting, financially viable, and fulfilling careers replete with purpose and comradeship. We challenge all those engaged in the COM science enterprise, and in particular, the leadership of these disciplines, to reimagine the culture of our working and learning environments. We encourage leaders to operationalize new frameworks to improve the culture of COM sciences so that all people entering our workforce feel welcomed, are able to bring their whole selves to their places of work, and truly reach their full potentials while advancing science
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