Written by: Joshua Perez. March 21, 2022
Last month we welcomed back Dr. Cinda Scott, Jonathan Molineaux, and Carlee Jackson from last year’s panel to continue discussions about obstacles faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Marine Science and ideas to increase equity and inclusion in the curriculum and field. The panel first discussed being an ally to BIPOC and how students can make a positive difference increasing diversity in STEM by showing up, providing resources, speaking up against injustices they witness, and building and maintaining your network. The panelists began to talk about the need to reach out and help expose underserved communities to marine science and how we can retain BIPOC students who may have a degree but are lacking resources and support to begin a career in STEM. During the discussions, the panelists shared some personal adversities they had to overcome in their journey through their marine science careers. The panelists also shared some organizations we can research and support such as Minorities in Shark Sciences, Black in Marine Science, Black Women in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Science (BWEEMS), National Technical Association, National Association of Black Scuba Divers, and Latinx in Marine Science.
Thank you to each of our panelists for their thoughts, knowledge, and perspective on how we can build a more equitable and inclusive environment for BIPOC in marine science.
