Weekly Wrap-Up

This week brings another political low, another chink in the armor of democracy. In the words of Priyamvada Gopal

We face an entrenched reality now, here to stay for the foreseeable future. It's the reality that the anticolonialists of the world once faced: huge empires with vast weaponry at their command, literal & ideological, & the ignorant consent of swathes of their populaces.

How do we stand up against this tide of xenophobia, fear mongering, lack of accountability, dismissal of facts and objective truths? How do we push back? Its easy to feel despair and grief, but we cannot give up and we cannot turn away from what is in front of us. The road to our collective freedom is long and arduous. But we must show up and take the first step and then another and then another. That’s how we move from despair to action and from action to change. As Priyamvada Gopal said, the odds were always against us. Lets continue the hard work anyway.

WHAT WE’VE DONE

  • We announced the inaugural Fellowship for the Future cohort ✨✨✨

500WS meet-up at AGU. Photo credit Dany Waller

500WS meet-up at AGU. Photo credit Dany Waller

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions

Photo by Ryan Loughlin on Unsplash

Take Action Tuesday


This week’s Take Action Tuesday is on Socially Responsible Investing , brought to us by Nicole M. Baran of the Atlanta Pod.

What does it mean to invest in the future? When we think about how to save for retirement or choosing where to bank, we often don’t consider whether the money we’re setting aside is funding companies that reflect our values. And yet if you have a standard employer-sponsored retirement account, for example, you are almost certainly invested in the fossil fuel industry.

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), also known as sustainable, socially conscious, "green" or ethical investing, is an investment strategy which seeks to consider both financial return as well as social and environmental good. Another term that you may also encounter is ESG, or the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment. SRI/ESG strategies can be based on a number of themes. You may choose to make investment decisions based on any number of different considerations, including environmental stewardship, labor practices, diversity in hiring or in leadership, societal impacts of the products, and human rights/ethical practices of the companies. These considerations, of course, need to be weighed against the potential differences in financial return, costs, taxes, and level of active management required for the individual investor.

 The good news is that the SRI sector is booming and there are more options than ever before. We may have limited options as individuals, but collectively we can create demand and signal to the financial industry the need to develop more, better, and higher return SRI options. It also forces bad actors to reconsider their corporate strategies. In that spirit, here are just some ways we can each put our money where our mouth is!

Please note: This should NOT be seen as financial advice! These are just some ideas to consider as you think about you/your family’s financial goals and needs.

1.     Look into your investment & retirement options. SRI has been slow to penetrate the employer-sponsored retirement plan market, so options here are somewhat limited. Fortunately, there are some actions you can take right away.

a.     If your employer offers a “self-directed” brokerage window option for your 401(k)/403(b), you may be able to invest some proportion of your funds to socially responsible mutual funds or ETFs within your current employer-sponsored retirement plan. If your plan doesn’t give you the flexibility to invest in SRI funds, you may also be able to rollover some of your funds (or funds from a previous employer) into a tax-deferred individual retirement account (IRA) where you can choose SRI options that match your values and financial goals.

b.     Consider using SRI brokerage accounts or SRI apps which give you more flexibility to be able withdraw funds at any time—for example, if you’re saving for a down payment on a house. These accounts come with higher fees and taxes on your earnings, but they offer some of the most stringent SRI criteria and the most flexibility for you to strategically focus on investing in companies that match your values.

c.     Talk to a financial advisor and ask about your options! Even just having a conversation and asking questions can itself help to demonstrate the demand for companies to create more and better socially-responsible investment products and for employers to make those plans available to employees. Similarly, if your employer doesn’t have any SRI options for the 401(k)/403(b) employer-matched retirement plan, ask for one!

2.     Bank locally. The benefits of working with a local bank or credit union are many. But, it importantly, it means that the money in your account is ultimately available to be invested in your local community, funding the mortgages and small business loans of your neighbors. You can also consider banking with minority- or black-owned banks, which provide vital resources to populations that are often underserved at other financial institutions.

 3.     Get involved in divestment efforts at your university or institution. The divestment movement has been pushing for institutions, including universities, to divest from assets connected to companies involved in the extraction of fossil fuels. Do you know whether your employer/university has committed to divestment. Support the efforts (which are often student-led) and leverage your power to ensure that your institution follows through.

By investing our money in companies that share our values, we can truly plan for the future that we want to live in.

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

There is no glory in the grind that literally grinds you down to dust

- Eve Ewing


WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Image from iOS.jpg

ENJOY THE WEEKEND


Weekly Wrap-Up

Sorry folks - we were so busy doing all the things that we forgot to post a weekly wrap-up last week, so we are posting it on a Monday in the hopes that it helps launch another great week.

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

  • Follow Friday: @KeoluFox, @oiwi_scholar, @cricketcrocker, @KimTallBea, @NativeApprops, @i_iwakeli_i, @jessbhdz

  • Indigenous women on the rise

  • Long history of Indigenous resistance to the systematic destruction of homeland, culture and identity perpetrated by colonialist governments across the globe

  • Recognizing the interlinked issues of environmental and climate justice and the root cause of colonialism

  • Love is Wise

  • Cancel culture, when people in power are rightfully criticized their problematic actions

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS - podcasts made by Indigenous creators (check out this list for more ideas)

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions

Photo by Jessica Fadel on Unsplash

Take Action Tuesday

As #NativeAmericanHistoryMonth comes to a close, we ask that our 500 Women Scientists community take time this week to a) honor the contributions of Native scientists, b) acknowledge how history—including the history of science—has worked to erase and delegitimize Native identity, and importantly, c) help redress those wrongs by holding individuals and academic institutions accountable for centering Native narratives. To these ends:

1.     Recognize that the dominant narrative of Thanksgiving often elides the impacts that settlers have had and continue to have on Native communities. Thanksgiving is not a celebration for everyone. The United American Indians of New England describes Thanksgiving as: 

“a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture. Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.”

This Take Action Tuesday, we encourage you to seek out Native perspectives on Thanksgiving, such as by reading the posts below:

2. Follow, subscribe, and financially support the work of Native scholars, journalists, business owners, and organizations who work to center indigenous communities, their cultures, and the issues they face. These include:

3. Ask your institution to hold itself accountable. As starting places for this work:

Photo by Sime Basioli on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy Friday everyone.

In the northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter. And to be honest, patience for our failing (democratic, scientific, societal) institutions are getting shorter and shorter too. The people of Hong Kong are out in the streets, using their voices to fight for their autonomy and freedoms. Protesters in Chile are in the streets, protesting income inequality and violent government tactics to shut down protests. We are inspired by their and others’ collective actions and by their willingness to show up for what they believe in!

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Take Action Tuesday

November is Trans Awareness and Native American Heritage month. For this week’s Take Action Tuesday, learn about the mistreatment and discrimination these communities face in our society and in our scientific communities, especially when those identities intersect.

Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash

Friday Wrap Up

Welcome to November and another Friday Wrap Up!

November is Native American Heritage month, an opportunity for us to not only celebrate the rich cultural traditions of Indigenous groups across the Americas, but also grapple the long history of subjugation and oppression that continues to this day. It is our responsibility to learn that history and ensure that our equity and inclusion work centers Native and Indigenous voices (something we at 500WS are still very much working towards). We must remember that most of us are all on Indigenous land, so if your institution does not have a land acknowledgement statement, you can encourage them and help create one.

November is also Trans Awareness month. The trans community is often the target of harassment, discrimination, and violence. The trans community is also on the frontlines of the fight for equity and justice. Remember, trans right are human rights and:

Trans people exist.

Non-binary people exist.

Trans women are women.

Trans men are men.

WHAT WE’VE DONE

  • Talked about what we know and what we don’t know

  • Held our biannual leadership board meeting in St. Louis MO

  • The San Francisco pod chatted with Dr. Kennan Salinero

  • Leadership member Dr. Jess Metcalf co-authored a new paper recommending policies and procedures to increase gender diversity in the STEM workforce

  • Leadership members Francesca Bernardi and Liz McCullagh in Elpha

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

Hi folks - we have been busy prepping for our biannual leadership board meeting, this fall hosted by the St. Louis MO pod. We will keep the wrap-up short, but stay tuned for a more in-depth recap of our meeting and what we are excited to work on in the coming months.

WHAT WE’VE DONE

  • Shared our 1st member/supporter survey - help us get to know you and ensure our organization is meeting your needs

  • Our biannual leadership board meeting kicks off today, hosted by our stellar St. Louis MO pod!

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions

Photo by Logan Troxell on Unsplash

Our mission is to serve society by making science open, inclusive, and accessible, and to transform society by fighting racism, patriarchy, and oppressive societal norms