Unpacking Diversity: A Grassroots Initiative and its Institutional Evolution

Abstract

Here we describe the evolution of a grassroots, graduate student-led initiative, Unpacking Diversity, designed to address the experiences of marginalized BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) scholars in an atmospheric, Earth, and ocean sciences college. Our main activity involved an annual seminar series delivered in partnership with social scientists and humanities scholars to meet the cultural needs of our college. Through this initiative, we held conversations regarding social justice in academia and offered resources to address these issues within the college. Despite high attendance and community-driven efforts to foster inclusivity, a lack of institutional support weakened Unpacking Diversity’s longevity, and organizing efforts became unsustainable for graduate students, primarily women of color. After four years, we decided to retire the initiative. We discuss the factors that contributed to the initiative's success, the obstacles that hindered substantial institutional change, and how this experience helped us create a resilient network of peers