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Archives for August 2020

ACS PROF Past-Subdivision Chair Publishes Call to Action in ACS Organic Letters

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The ongoing social debate on social justice and equity for underrepresented minority and diversity groups has continued to take hold across the globe including within the chemical community. This dialogue was further escalated within the hallowed halls of our chemical profession when a perspective written by Hudlicky was published in Angewandte Chemie, International Edition. (1) The article was quickly removed as the community decried its derogatory opinions on diversity within the chemical sciences.

This publication resulted in numerous critiques from around the chemical enterprise. Most recently, Tehshik Yoon, past-Chair of the ACS Division of Professional Relations Gay & Transgender Chemists and Allies (GCTA) subdivision, and his academic colleagues took up the critique in an editorial published in Organic Letters. (2)

Professor Yoon and his collaborators speak to their sub-disciplinary peers in “Organic Chemistry: A Call to Action for Diversity and Inclusion” in a very approachable and engaging way. This editorial lays out a wonderfully crafted rejection of the Hudlicky arguments against diversity within the chemical sciences. Instead, they expand on their perspectives as academic leaders in the field. Throughout their paper, Professor Yoon et. al. promote the idea that diversity is a strength and that removal of archaic and artificial homogeneity will move a fatal flaw from the continued development of the chemical sciences.

Figure 1. Screen shot of the authors during a writing session for this manuscript. (First row, from left to right: Matthew S. Sigman and Richmond Sarpong. Second row: Sarah E. Reisman and Tehshik P. Yoon.)

The editorial further defends the quality of the diverse students in which the authors engage

with, and mentor, as a key to successfully innovating within the field of organic chemistry. Integrating the diverse views and experiences within their teams continues to create significant chemical discoveries and progress within the field. Combined, these create a powerful argument that ultimately concludes with a call to action for both individuals and institutions to combat divisive behaviors that have resulted in institutional barriers for many of our colleagues, friends, and family.

The ACS Division of Professional Relations continues to strive to be a home for all chemists that fosters diverse and inclusive communities. We applaud Professor Yoon and his colleagues and implore you to read their editorial and take action to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture with the chemical enterprise.

Submitted by:

Matt Grandbois, ACS Division of Professional Relations Member-At-Large

 

References

Continuing the Conversation: A Follow Up from our Open Dialogue on Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect

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“It’s not enough to just be non-racist, we must actively work towards antiracism.”

On Friday June 12, the ACS Division of Professional Relations (PROF) hosted an Open Dialogue on Diversity, Inclusion, & Respect. This dialogue was in line with our mission to create inclusive communities that extend outside the laboratory, classroom, and office. We recognize that being a professional doesn’t stop when you leave the lab. It doesn’t take a coffee break when you leave your office. Inclusivity and respect for others is a fundamental way of life and when we don’t value the lives of our colleagues within repressed and discriminated communities, we are purposefully disrespecting what it is to be a human, let alone a chemist.

During this forum, Divisional and Society leaders answered questions, provided and received feedback on how ACS can provide tangible support, and most importantly, enabled repressed and marginalized voices to be heard. The goal of this session was to find ways to reach out to those that feel unheard and defend their repressed opinions and contributions to our profession in a positive way. The conversation was intended to serve as a starting point, and we recognize that impactful actions inside of ACS and our own individual lives must follow.  

In the discussion, many resources were shared both by the panelists and moderator, as well as via attendees in the chat. In this blog post, we’ll summarize many of these resources, and we would welcome your suggestions to add to the list. 

 

While linking to Amazon might certainly be convenient, we’d also like to suggest that you consider purchasing any of the books listed here from a black-owned business. A great list may be found here: https://lithub.com/you-can-order-today-from-these-black-owned-independent-bookstores/

 

Important points from the discussion include: 

  • It’s not enough to just be non-racist, we must actively work towards antiracism.
  • Manifestations of microaggressions include verbal, nonverbal, environmental, visual cues, etc. Remember, they can be conscious and unconscious!
    • micro insults = subtle communications/behaviors that perpetuates stereotypes, rudeness, and insensitivities that demean their identity based on race, gender, sexual orientation, etc…
    • microinvalidations = communications that negate, deny, disregard the thoughts, feelings, experiences, and realities based on marginalized identities
  • We must work towards lasting change, not just symbolic change.
    • Symbolic vs Lasting Change: Both the Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry and the Reaction Mechanisms Conference include full sessions on diversity, equity, and inclusion in their meeting schedules, with nearly full participation. Are other meetings doing this? Is this a model other groups can employ?

 

Suggestions for ACS to implement: 

  • We should consider anti-racism training for ACS leadership across all levels.
    • Include focus on intersectionality, especially for those ACS members who are Black, Brown, LGTBQi, and/or disabled.
  • Term limits for Councilors and Shorter ones for Board Members; more turnover on Committees to engage new diverse people.
  • Members need to submit diverse nominations for ACS elected positions and awards
    • Expand awards for underrepresented groups such as the Overcoming Challenges Award.
  • ACS should be more vocal about social issues – from publications, to events, to anything that impacts our members (who are humans, first and foremost)
  • ACS should have honest, open, truthful and transparent conversations; listening intently, not with an agenda or assumption, but setting those aside and be willing to learn, be willing to make adjustments in prior thoughts and attitudes. This should follow with concrete follow up, asking questions from the experts that are in that space everyday, inclusive of those who live it everyday; not for any exploitation or just to hear a story, but be human and humane. 
  • ACS should support the creation of diverse online student affiliates organization.  
  • ACS should consider funds for students that can’t access reliable internet, don’t have computers, etc. in this era of virtual learning. This pandemic has hit communities of color very hard. 

 

ACS Resources: 

 

Websites, Movies, Podcasts, and other Resources: 

 

Books:

  • White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
  • So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
  • How to be an Antiracist by Ibran Kendi
  • Me and the White Supremacy by Layla Saad
  • The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
  • Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • Untamed by Glennon Doyle
  • Racism in Medicine: Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts
  • Books by: https://ta-nehisicoates.com/
  • Microaggressions in Everyday Life by Derald Wing Sue
  • African American Women Chemists in the Modern Era by Jeannette E. Brown
  • African American Women Chemists by Jeannette E. Brown

 

So, where do we go from here? The Diversity, Inclusion and Respect Advisory Board, in collaboration with the ACS Department of Diversity Programs is working with ACS Webinars to host a series of webinars focused on inclusivity. Following each webinar, the Division of Professional Relations will organize a listening session where we can reflect, discuss and continue learning from each other.  

 

Webinar 1: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 2-3pm ET

Speaker: La’Wana Harris, La’Wana Harris, Inc.

Moderator: Paula Christopher, American Chemical Society

 

What You Will Learn:

  • How to equip yourself to become a more thoughtful and effective ally for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion 
  • How to enable yourself to create a strategy for leveraging your power and privilege to foster greater access, opportunity, and accountability
  • How to empower yourself to start leading and living inclusively by demystifying the “how” of everyday behaviors at the individual, structural, and systemic levels

 

Listen to the recording: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/acs-webinars.html

 

Following this session, ACS PROF will be hosting an “ACS Division of Professional Relations Listening Session: Leading & Living Inclusively” based off of the ACS webinar to allow members to provide their thoughts, ideas, and suggested action items. This will be hosted by Ben Fiore-Walker, Manager of the ACS Diversity Programs Office, who has been holding similar sessions internally for ACS Staff, so he will be leveraging his learnings and experience to provide a similar session for Members. This session will be held on Monday, August 24th from 3-4pm EDT and you can register for this event at the following link:

https://american-chemical-society.zoom.com/meeting/register/tJMpc-6vqzMoHNwNCzntHY03BkpPLrixnzbf

It is not required for attendees of the Listening Session to attend the ACS Webinar, but it is highly encouraged and the video recording can be viewed on-demand following the live broadcast (free ACS Member benefit).

These paired events are the first in a series of ACS Webinars and PROF Listening Sessions that will help us to continue to listen to our Members and provide them a conduit to share their thoughts, feelings, and suggested actions for us to help enable as their elected officers. The next ACS Webinar in this series will feature Desiree S. Coleman (Diversity and Inclusion Consultant) and is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 from 2-3pm EDT. We will host an ACS PROF listening session following that event (TBD).

And, let’s keep the conversation going. Let us know how we can support you, our members, by emailing info@acsprof.org.

A New Resource: Growing Diverse STEM Communities: Methodology, Impact, and Evidence

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Congratulations to the entire team responsible for publication of the new ACS Book: Growing Diverse STEM Communities: Methodology, Impact, and Evidence.

The book, which is edited by PROF members and leaders including Leyte Winfield, Gloria Thomas, Linette Watkins and Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy, has been published as a part of ACS Books Symposium Series. It is currently available as a eBook, and the print version is set to be released in December 2020.

Understanding practices with demonstrated impact on increasing underrepresented student persistence in STEM addresses an area of national need that is not well represented in the literature. This book profiles programs, practices, and teaching innovations designed to improve recruitment, performance, and retention in the academic STEM environment; particularly as it relates to women and individuals from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. Accounts detailed in the text were based on symposia sponsored by the Division of Professional Relations held at the ACS Fall 2018 National Meeting.

The book is grounded by an introduction from Ivory A. Toldson, The president and CEO of The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network and former executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, who shares from his vast experience research and perspectives on cultivating STEM talent at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The books details academic programs that have lead to measurable success and engagement of individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM and highlight leadership and administrative aspects that undergirds such efforts.

 

Join us once more in congratulating all involved in this project, and thank you for providing such a wonderful resource to the community!

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