[Science Mag.org] The American Association for the Advancement of Science has released two parts of a draft plan that directs the organization to strengthen its advocacy on behalf of diversity, equity, and inclusion—while taking a hard look at its own demographics and related policies.AAAS's "Addressing Systemic Racism in the Sciences" plans were developed by AAAS CEO Sudip Parikh and AAAS leadership, after discussions inside and outside the association prompted by a year that Parikh calls "an opportunity born of tragedy."
Protests over police brutality against Black people in the United States and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and brown communities are sharp reminders that no part of society is immune from discrimination, Parikh said. "We haven't yet held a mirror to the scientific enterprise, and we may not like everything we see."
AAAS is holding up that mirror with a report that will be published in late October, compiling demographic data on the association's Fellows, Science & Technology Policy Fellows, award recipients, Science authors, and AAAS governing bodies. These groups are critical to supporting diversity, Parikh said, because they represent the ways in which "AAAS functions as a career advancement enabler in science and engineering."