Take Action: Offer to teach for your Black colleagues #Teach4BlackLives
As we continue to fight for fundamental human rights and for #BlackLivesMAtter, we must acknowledge that there is no business as usual, especially for our Black leaders, members and colleagues who are processing trauma while carrying the burden of teaching, research, mentorship, broader community service, and responsibilities at home. For white allies, it is challenging to know how to help in a concrete way.
@KTElliotMicro posted an offer to do something tangible during this especially challenging time:
Tweet by KT Elliot: “If any of my Black colleagues need someone to teach a class, I could be available Thurs/Fri. I’d be most ready to pinch hit for Genetics (I teach an intermediate level course a lot), but I could also teach Intro Bio and Microbiology courses pretty easily too. My DMs are open.”
We love this concrete way to support our Black colleagues. Here is what you can do immediately #Teach4BlackLives:
Offer to teach a virtual course
Share your teaching materials and lectures
Take the service and mentorship burden off your Black colleagues
If you work for a funding agency, extend grant submission deadlines
Order a meal for your colleague’s family
Support your Black students
First and foremost, acknowledge the trauma and grief in your classes
Extend or eliminate deadlines and assignments - your Black students are processing grief and trauma and having to make up missed work just puts them further behind
Offer extra office hours and resources to support your Black students in whatever way they need
We recognize that this in itself is not enough, and that these actions will not fix the racism and violence deeply embedded in the system. This is an immediate action for white allies to show up NOW and take some of the burden off grieving and furious Black scientists.