MAS Response to the Killing of George Floyd and Statement of Inequities in STEM

June 25, 2020

For months COVID-19 has ravaged communities of color. Then, one month ago, came the eruption of pain, grief, and outrage in response to the loss of yet another Black life -- that of George Floyd -- at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Too many Black lives and countless opportunities have been lost due to systemic racism. We want to do better. We want to do more. We want to be part of the solution.

For many years, the Minnesota Academy of Science has envisioned a future where every Minnesotan has access to a STEM career. This vision includes Minnesota’s Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Immigrant communities, our rural and urban communities, and our LGBT+ community. We want every Minnesotan to be able to picture themselves as a scientist and have the tools and support they need to succeed in STEM.

We know that diversity strengthens our STEM community, our companies, our schools, and our scientific research. We also know that disparities persist within Minnesota classrooms, laboratories, and workplaces when it comes to STEM.

So we pledge to look within our organization at how we can better live our core values of inclusion, excellence, fairness, and leadership. We also aim to work with companies, STEM professionals, and educators across the state to identify and dismantle barriers to STEM by:

Continuing to build partnerships with like-minded organizations to address the opportunity gap in STEM education in Minnesota.
Supporting, promoting, and expanding opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to engage in STEM research and participate in our state’s top STEM competitions.
Expanding our existing programs that connect students underrepresented in STEM with mentors, models, and enrichment opportunities.
Creating new resources and opportunities for the Minnesota STEM community to engage in open dialogue around issues of diversity and inclusion.