The Black Lives Matter Movement
What began as a call to action in response to police violence and anti-Black racism in the U.S. is now a global initiative to confront racial inequities in society, including environmental injustice, bias in academia and the public health threat of racism
From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter
Protest expert Aldon Morris explains how social justice movements succeed
Inequality before Birth Contributes to Health Inequality in Adults
Improving newborn health is more essential now than ever
We’ll Never Fix Systemic Racism by Being Polite
Contrary to the sanitized version we sometimes hear about the civil rights movement, change was not achieved solely by protest marches and people singing “We Shall Overcome”
Half of the 250 Kids Expelled from Preschool Each Day Are Black Boys
Racism and overstressed teachers help explain high expulsion rates for Black preschool boys
Meet the Medical Student Challenging Racial Bias with TikTok
Medical influencer Joel Bervell is challenging racism in health care, one TikTok at a time.
These Three Overlooked Black Inventors Shaped Our Lives
The innovators changed the nature of household work, industrial production and high technology
Teaching about Racism Is Essential for Education
Lessons about racial injustice help students understand reality
In Schools, Honest Talk about Racism Can Reduce Discrimination
New laws make it harder for teachers to discuss racism and inequality, but psychological evidence shows these conversations dispel causes of bias and distress
Why Scientists Must Stand for Affirmative Action and against Scientific Racism
The Supreme Court could destroy affirmative action in higher education, and STEM professionals must stand against the white supremacy and scientific racism that fuels arguments against it...
Suicides among Black People May Be Vastly Undercounted
Lack of data explains why
How Racism in Early Life Can Affect Long-Term Health
Excessive adversity activates biological reactions that can lead to lifelong problems in physical and mental well-being
Racism Drives Environmental Inequality—But Most Americans Don’t Realize
Survey finds that most people think poverty is why pollution disproportionately affects Black people, despite evidence that racism is the major cause
Hidden Black Scientists Proved the Polio Vaccine Worked
Tuskegee Institute researchers showed Jonas Salk’s vaccine protected children by developing a key test
Discrimination Is Breaking People’s Hearts
Heart attacks, strokes and other consequences of cardiovascular disease are particularly dangerous for people who face inequity
Killings by Police Declined after Black Lives Matter Protests
A study also found body-camera use and community policing increased in places with the most active movements
Three Ways to Fix Toxic Policing
Accountability, demilitarization and the transfer of responsibilities to social workers are needed to remake our overly antagonistic law-enforcement agencies
For Black and Brown Kidney Patients, There Are Higher Hurdles to Care
Minority patients are diagnosed later, stay on dialysis longer and are added to transplant lists less quickly. Why?
We Learned the Wrong Lessons from the Tuskegee ‘Experiment’
It’s understandable that Black Americans are wary of vaccines, but that despicable episode involved the withholding of treatment, whereas vaccines actively prevent disease...
The Time to Dismantle the Racial Structures That Pervade Global Science Is Now
Sociologist Anthony Ryan Hatch believes we must make the conversation around race and STEM a priority in academia
When Racism Waits along the Academic Path
For structural engineer and entrepreneur Nehemiah Mabry, a racist remark made to him in graduate school provided all the motivation he needed to open doors into academia for others
Why Building a Diverse Company Is Good for Business
Celeste Warren of drug manufacturer Merck discusses diversity in science and medicine and the journey of rising up in the ranks of a major multinational company
Microaggressions: Death by a Thousand Cuts
The everyday slights, insults and offensive behaviors that people of marginalized groups experience in daily interactions cause real psychological harm
To Achieve Mental Health Equity, Dismantle Social Injustice
Substance use disorders and other problems cannot be addressed from a position of willful ignorance about our society’s inequalities
Climate Anxiety Is an Overwhelmingly White Phenomenon
Is it really just code for white people wishing to hold onto their way of life or to get “back to normal?”
Charles Blow Tells You How to Actually Fight Racism
The New York Times columnist discusses police brutality, racial disparities of the pandemic and diversifying the workplace
Major Physics Society Will Not Meet in Cities with Racist Policing Records
The American Physical Society’s new criteria for conference venues seem to be unique among scientific societies
Finding Yourself and Your Community when You Are Black in STEM
Antonio Baines is trying to build a more diverse science, one student at a time
White Chicago Cops Use Force More Often Than Black Officers
A new study of the city’s policing also shows differences between male and female cops
Race Riot Site from 1908 Could Become a National Park
The aftermath of the Springfield, Ill., rampage led, in part, to the NAACP
Climate Inequality Exists in U.S. Cities and Has Deep Racist Roots
Lower-income residents and people of color are more likely to live in the hottest neighborhoods
Scientists and Health Experts Need to Be Advocates
Amid multiple crises, science and medicine cannot stand aloof from politics
Teaching Antiracism to the Next Generation of Doctors
Challenging racism’s deleterious effects requires first identifying its many forms
I Can’t Breathe: Asthma, Black Men and the Police
The common, chronic inflammation of the airways may help explain why deaths in custody are so high among African-Americans
The Whitewashing of Black Genius
Frederick Douglass, Antonio Maceo and the outrages of “racial science”
Racism and Sexism in Science Haven’t Disappeared
Those who argue that the system will magically self-correct are kidding themselves
The Masks We Wear to Survive
A gay, African-American physician relied on personas to endure his medical training
COVID-19’s Disparate Impacts Are Not a Story about Race
They’re a story about racism
The Racist Legacy of Computer-Generated Humans
Moviemakers have perfected the art of rendering skin and hair—but only for white people
Medical Schools Need to Get Better at Addressing Structural Racism
An incoming medical student points out that the field has always been political, prioritizing some bodies over others
Health Care Is Long Overdue for a Social Justice Reckoning
Biases in the system put the lives and well-being of women and minorities at risk
Vaccine Trials Should Reflect America’s Diversity
Racial minorities and those with underlying health conditions may be at a greater risk from coronavirus infection, but have historically been less likely to be included in clinical trials...
After Surgery, Black Children Are More Likely to Die Than White Children
A study of nearly 200 U.S. medical centers found that even apparently healthy kids suffer racial disparities in complications associated with surgery
Get Armed Police Out of Emergency Rooms
And stop letting hospital security guards carry guns; there are better ways to keep patients and staff safe
Racism in Health Care Isn’t Always Obvious
As physicians, we believe that recognizing it begins with understanding our own privilege and biases
Black Images Matter: How Cameras Helped—and Sometimes Harmed—Black People
From Frederick Douglass to George Floyd, photography has been key for racial justice. But cameras have also been used to hurt
Stereotypes Harm Black Lives and Livelihoods, but Research Suggests Ways to Improve Things
Management researcher Modupe Akinola explains on how stereotypes hurt Black Americans and what we can do to counter them
Why People Are Toppling Monuments to Racism
Statues are ideological powerhouses that compress whole systems of authority into bodies of bronze or marble
Disaster Loans Entrench Disparities in Black Communities
Systemic inequities such as credit scores mean Black home and business owners receive fewer federal relief loans than white ones
How to Protect Yourself during Protests
Demonstrators face tear gas, flash bangs, coronavirus and surveillance
On Racial Justice, Statements Are Not Enough
Academic institutions and scientific organizations must embrace collective action
Black Astronomers Highlight Achievements and Obstacles
One of the forces behind #BlackInAstro week shares her optimism for the future
What ‘Less Lethal’ Weapons Actually Do
Rubber bullets and tear gas are not as innocuous as they sound
How to Evaluate Coronavirus Risks from Black Lives Matter Protests
Large crowds, tear gas and jail cells could contribute to transmission of the virus. But it would not be easy to separate that danger from the risks of states reopening businesses and workplaces...
Police Violence Calls for Measures beyond De-escalation Training
Pairing the practice with greater accountability, better oversight of law enforcement and efforts to reimagine the role police play in communities could help reduce officers’ use of force...
Why Racism, Not Race, Is a Risk Factor for Dying of COVID-19
Public health specialist and physician Camara Phyllis Jones talks about ways that jobs, communities and health care leave Black Americans more exposed and less protected
Teargassing Protesters during an Infectious Outbreak Is ‘a Recipe for Disaster’
Some scientists call for police to stop using the chemical irritants, which could increase the risk of spreading COVID-19
For Scientific Institutions, Racial Reconciliation Requires Reparations
Antiracism in science must be about much more than challenging the bigoted graybeards of our past
Soot Rule Thrusts EPA into Spotlight on Race
Air pollution disproportionately impacts minority communities, and proposed changes would stymie efforts to address the disparity
Policing Can Take a Lesson from Health Care
Here are 10 ways to reduce adverse outcomes
Grieving and Frustrated: Black Scientists Call Out Racism in the Wake of Police Killings
An academic strike is planned for this week, alongside marches and demonstrations worldwide
Scientists and Others Stage a #Strike4BlackLives
June 10 is a day off from “business as usual” for non-Black academics and a day of rest for Black students, staff and faculty
Racism, Not Genetics, Explains Why Black Americans Are Dying of COVID-19
Some scientists and politicians have invoked baseless ideas about unknown genes, ignoring systemic inequality and oppression
George Floyd’s Autopsy and the Structural Gaslighting of America
The weaponization of medical language emboldened white supremacy with the authority of the white coat. How will we stop it from happening again?
A Civil Rights Expert Explains the Social Science of Police Racism
Columbia University attorney Alexis J. Hoag discusses the history of how we got to this point and the ways that researchers can help reduce bias against black Americans throughout the legal system...
Black Birders Call Out Racism, Say Nature Should Be for Everyone
Co-organizers of the first Black Birders Week talk about the joy of the natural world and the work outdoor-focused groups need to do to reduce racism and promote inclusion
Trump Waives Environmental Reviews, Vulnerable Communities Could Bear the Brunt
Such reviews are intended to allow community input and minimize harm to the environment
The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity
Prescribing weight loss to Black women ignores barriers to their health
Minneapolis Launched a Groundbreaking Climate Plan, But Left Minorities Out
Experts and affected communities say environmental justice must be a key component of efforts to address climate change
