June 04, 2020
Dear Geochemical Society Members,
Recent events in the United States, including the violent death of George Floyd and other African Americans, highlight the systemic discrimination and racism persistent in the US and globally. We are shocked, deeply distressed and share in the sadness. Black lives matter and inappropriate use of police force must stop.
As a Society, the promotion of inclusivity and diversity in science is in our core mission. Striving to achieve this is a daily and continuing goal and is incorporated into all our Society's activities. This is reflected in our public stand on equity and diversity and our enforced code of conduct for members.
The horrific events of the past several months confront us with the depths of ongoing inequity, discrimination and bias. As a professional society we must and will redouble our on-going efforts to provide an inclusive and supportive professional environment free of discrimination and harassment. We will continue, proactively and intentionally, to work to be more inclusive, educate ourselves about institutional racism and unconscious bias, and strive to increase the diversity of our Society. This is done on behalf of all our members and because scientific advancement in service of society requires a thriving, globally diverse, and inclusive community of scholars.
We draw your attention to a long-planned, up-coming workshop on June 24 associated with our virtual Goldschmidt Conference: Diversity and Inclusion in the Geosciences – Pitfalls, Unconscious Bias and Practical Solutions, which will provide a timely forum to discuss these issues and ways we can make progress on our goals.
| Vickie Bennett President Canberra, Australia |
Sumit Chakraborty Vice President Bochum, Germany |
Roberta Rudnick Past President Santa Barbara, CA, USA |
