Objective
The UVA Postdoc Association actively supports the Black Lives Matter movement and other marginalized or oppressed communities in the Greater Charlottesville Area (GCA). As researchers and educators, we have a responsibility to re-educate ourselves on issues of racism and suppression, particularly in our community and areas of study. We also believe we have a valuable opportunity to serve our community by organizing science outreach and education activities. These will ideally be open to people from all walks of life, but in the current era there must also be an explicit focus to uplift marginalized communities. Therefore, the UVA Postdoc Association is forming a new Diversity and Community Outreach Committee. We will be shaping the direction and goals of this committee soon, that include organizing activities and developing resources to enhance our presence in the GCA and empower postdocs to be a positive force.
Solidarity Statement
The Postdoc Association of the University of Virginia (UVA) formed the Diversity and Community Outreach Committee in order to promote the values of the Black Lives Matter movement and other initiatives that support underrepresented or marginalized communities. We aim to promote justice and equity by pursuing the following goals: 1) educating ourselves and each other on the long history of racial injustice intrinsic to UVA, Virginia, and the nation as a whole; 2) providing resources to members within our community that allow for the recognition and honest acknowledgement of personal biases, as well as solutions to address and move beyond biases; 3) uplifting marginalized and oppressed communities in the Greater Charlottesville area by organizing community programs to address unmet needs or providing assistance to existing programs; 4) advocating for greater representation of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQ+ communities as well as women within UVA institutions; and 5) actively promoting, encouraging, and welcoming the participation of these communities within our Association.
We strongly reject and denounce racism, police brutality, discrimination, and oppression in all forms.