Extreme Virus Lab Statement on Inclusion and Anti-Racism

StATEMENT

We strive to be both in terms of people who do it, whom it affects and the people that we communicate with.

As has become extremely clear in the last few months, there are major problems with racism in the USA. Even if individual racism is excluded, there are clear issues of systemic racism, specifically in science and academia. We try our best to be an anti-racist group.

We welcome people in our group of all races, religions, ethnicity, gender-identity, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, perceived disabilities, etc., because we recognize that many people can contribute and we value a diverse perspective and embrace diversity.

Those of us who are in a majority group strive to realize our privileges and will try to leverage these privileges to help those who are less privileged. We will promote diversity in science and stand up for justice and equity.

Actions:

·   We will be inclusive in all of our internal and outward facing communications.

·   We will speak out whenever we encounter what we perceive to be racist behaviour or speech.

·   We will have discussions or discuss materials related to racism, diversity and inclusion into our lab meetings at least once a term to normalize discussions of this difficult topic.

·   We will participate in LSAMP, McNair, MESA, and EXITO programs at Portland State University and support student and fellow attendance at the  Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) conference and Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) .

·   We will amplify voices of under-represented groups in our scientific community by sharing and promoting their work and including them on panels through our roles on program and planning committees for societies, conferences and journals.

Modified from Dr. Greg Ebel, Colorado State University.

By unanimous approval, Group Meeting. 6 Oct. 2020.