Dear College of Science Faculty and Staff, This week, I was infuriated to see a 2022 video and report detailing how a young gymnast in a line of others being given participation medals, was totally ignored by the official handing out the medals. The gymnast passed over was Black, the others were not. When challenged, the official (of Gymnastics Ireland) said the mistake was ‘an honest error’ and ‘not intentional’. Wow. The family of the girl had to demand an apology, itself shocking. My stomach hurts thinking about this. How do you simply not see someone? How do you simply not see someone who happens to be Black? And how are you (and Gymnastics Ireland) not ashamed of your disrespect? I personally have been unseen. Never forgotten is my experience as a postdoc, years ago, one of two women in a research group of fifteen. In a group meeting, I asked a good question, in a loud, clear voice. There was a pause, and then the speaker continued. A few minutes later, Robert, a man, asked literally, exactly the same question. The speaker and other group members discussed Robert’s question with animation and interest for several minutes. I was incredulous. I stood up and said something like “Hold on everyone. I just asked the exact same question Robert asked, and no-one acknowledged my question, no-one responded. Why is that? Is it because I’m a woman, and you think I don’t have much worthwhile to contribute?” There was silence, and the speaker started his presentation again. My tirade did nothing to improve the lab situation going forward, so I said no more, but continued my research, working with the positive aspects of the training and my career. Thinking about these incidents, I wonder, does it in some way relate to your personal experience? Does it in some way relate to your experience in the College of Science at Northeastern University? Truly I hope not, but a recent survey led by Associate Dean for Equity Randall Hughes indicates that some College members feel a lower sense of belonging and inclusion, and these negative experiences tend to be more common for individuals from minoritized identities. Dr. Hughes will be distributing findings from the survey, as a platform to improve each person’s experience. Not being acknowledged, not being seen or heard, is real and damaging, and we are deeply committed to addressing these issues. Recently, I revisited my postdoc event in a wonderful interactive session initiated by Dr. Karl Reid, Senior Vice Provost and Chief Inclusion Officer at Northeastern. The group leader, our coach, listened to my story and then said, here’s what might have helped. Your ending to the group was too soft. You needed to give them an action. You could have tried saying: ‘I have a request. When I speak, that you stop and listen, you consider what I have said. And that you then respond to what I have said. That is my request. Can you grant this request?’ And after, the coach said, you could have waited for an answer. Honestly, it was a watershed moment, decades later. Here was an actionable framing that might have improved the situation. There is no quick fix to overcoming bias, to ensuring that each member of our College of Science is acknowledged as important, is listened to, and seen. We are working on this, and I ask every member of the College to be part of our collective effort to make good on our statement:
In the Northeastern University College of Science, we embrace a culture of respect and inclusion, where each person is valued and empowered with equitable opportunities and access to resources. We commit to implementing initiatives that dismantle systemic oppression and build a diverse community.