commitment to anti-racist science communication
As science communicators, our partnership with the scientific community is interdependent, as scientific illustrators play a critical role in the dissemination of knowledge. We provide nuance, context, and visualization that makes science more dynamic and accessible to the public. We seek to bridge the gaps between research and practice. We participate in the STEAM industry and in academic systems that work to establish universal truths through discovery and innovation. However, these systems have racist histories that are built--at times quite literally--into their very foundation. These histories are impossible to divorce from our present and cannot be ignored; whether intentional or not, such erasure is not a sign of objectivity, but one of complicity. Failing to address white supremacy culture in the science community contributes to the perpetuation of racist ideas not only in research, but in the broader world.
The GNSI NW represents a coalition of science communicators that exist at the intersection of art, science, and education. At our core, we strive to increase access to knowledge for everyone. Our trade has benefited from a long history of oppression and exploitation, and it is our responsibility to acknowledge and contextualize how institutional racism and white supremacy culture have shaped the field of scientific illustration. When we accept these truths, we can begin to practice anti-racism, moving beyond rejecting racist ideas and actively working to dismantle systemic oppression and white supremacy culture. This work is uncomfortable, emotional, and challenging, but it is absolutely necessary if we hope to provide our communities with inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist narratives in STEAM and academia.
The GNSI NW represents a coalition of science communicators that exist at the intersection of art, science, and education. At our core, we strive to increase access to knowledge for everyone. Our trade has benefited from a long history of oppression and exploitation, and it is our responsibility to acknowledge and contextualize how institutional racism and white supremacy culture have shaped the field of scientific illustration. When we accept these truths, we can begin to practice anti-racism, moving beyond rejecting racist ideas and actively working to dismantle systemic oppression and white supremacy culture. This work is uncomfortable, emotional, and challenging, but it is absolutely necessary if we hope to provide our communities with inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist narratives in STEAM and academia.
