Thread by @MarchForScience

What’s police brutality and racism got to do with science?

Everything.

A #BlackAndSTEM/#ShutDownSTEM/#ShutDownAcademia/#BlackLivesMatter multidisciplinary science megathread.

Did you know that studies have revealed that diversity drives scientific innovation? Another way to put that: The absence of Black people in science results in lower quality science. So says @nature, one of the world’s most prestigious science journals

nature.com/articles/s4146…

@nature Where are all the #BlackAndSTEM scientists? Racism blocks their way. While white males make up 40-60% of science Ph.D. students, the Black %s are usually in the single digits. Physics, astronomy, and Earth sciences are usually in the 1-3% range.

pbs.org/wgbh/nova/arti…

@nature (...So let’s send this newly minted black astrophysicist some encouragement!)

https://twitter.com/317starkid/status/1267451347202445312

@nature #BlackAndSTEM students are the least likely to:
...have access to quality education to prepare for a STEM career
...be encouraged by teachers and mentors to pursue STEM interests from an early age.
...think they can succeed in STEM
...have STEM mentors

pewsocialtrends.org/2018/01/09/bla…

@nature (The mentor problem is circular--In order to for #BlackAndSTEM students to succeed, they need #MirrorsInSTEM and mentors who understand them which means we need lots of high ranking Black folks in STEM. But if students can’t advance to BECOME mentors without HAVING mentors…)

@nature #BlackAndSTEM students are often 1st gen college-goers. These students often have greater financial responsibilities to family, less support, & less awareness of the unspoken rules of academic social structures, aka. the “hidden curriculum.” #ShutDownSTEM

insidehighered.com/advice/2019/10…

@nature Even if they make it to and through graduate school, scientists often face racism and higher-than-average rates of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the lab, at field sites, at conferences, and even from students. #MeTooSTEM #ShutDownSTEM

sciencemag.org/careers/2020/0…

@nature ...You see, underneath the melanin exterior is a brain full of ideas. Science--and the world--suffers because of a lack of black minds on the frontiers of science. Particularly in physics, astronomy, mathematics, and geology.

#BlackAndSTEM #ShutDownSTEM

@nature 2 days ago, one of the most prestigious journals in the world pledged to take anti-racist action at their institution.

“Science has a racism problem. Scientists are problem solvers. Let’s get to it.”

#BlackAndSTEM #ShutDownSTEM

cell.com/cell/fulltext/…

@nature Being a STEM student, especially a graduate student, is stressful enough, but all of this is on top of the fact that just everyday racism is stressful. #BlackAndSTEM #ShutDownSTEM

npr.org/sections/codes…

@nature Recent research suggests that repeated exposure to stories and video of the death of other Black people at the hands of police is causing PTSD-like trauma.

pbs.org/newshour/natio…

@nature Every day, black students, professors, and other professionals are expected to show up for work and to act like they’re ok. #ShutDownSTEM #ShutDownAcademia

refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/…

@nature This trauma is passed down through the generations--culturally and behaviorally, but a new area of research is suggesting that it may be getting passed on epigenetically as well. There is much that’s still unknown about the biological legacy of slavery.

apa.org/monitor/2019/0…

@nature Since the beginning of slavery, science has been used to scientifically “validate” the idea that some groups of humans are biologically inferior to other humans, often based on bogus measurements that racist scientists pulled out of their racist butts.

washingtonpost.com/local/a-brief-…

@nature Side note: Anthropologists, aka experts in humans, agree that race is not a biological reality, but a social reality. We recommend the book “Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You” by anthropologist @Anthrofuentes, but also here’s an article:
sapiens.org/body/is-race-r…

@nature @Anthrofuentes Even today, myths about “biological” race persist. This study revealed that medical students *actually think Black people feel less pain.* #MedTwitter #BlackLivesMatter
pnas.org/content/113/16…

@nature @Anthrofuentes ...And yes, doctors not believing Black pain does result in doctors refusing to treat real pain because they don’t believe the patient.

Even children.

#MedTwitter #BlackLivesMatter

rawstory.com/2015/09/study-…

@nature @Anthrofuentes There are legitimate concerns that some of these myths, if not proactively addressed, could be affecting the quality of care Black COVID patients get. (One of the many societal problems COVID has exacerbated.) #MedTwitter #BlackLivesMatter

nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

@nature @Anthrofuentes It is well established that racism contributes to lower quality of care for patients of color, and harms trust in the medical community. In other words, a vaccine will not be the end of COVID unless we get to work earning and building trust NOW.

nytimes.com/2020/01/13/ups…

@nature @Anthrofuentes Mistrust in the medical community is rooted in a history of experimentation on Black bodies, beginning with experimentation on slaves. #MedTwitter #ShutDownSTEM #BlackLivesMatter

@nature @Anthrofuentes Every scientist and medical professional should know the name of Henrietta Lacks, and the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, and understand how they have benefitted from the exploitation of Black bodies. #MedTwitter #ShutDownSTEM #BlackLivesMatter

dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/hand…

@nature @Anthrofuentes The mistrust in the medical community is real and raw. And now, there is now growing concern that scaling up proactive policing (preventative actions such as “stop and frisk”) may also harm our ability to fight COVID-19. #MedTwitter #BlackLivesMatter

theverge.com/2020/6/1/21275…

@nature @Anthrofuentes COVID-19 was disproportionately affecting Black communities. Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd were the straws that broke the camel’s back. #MedTwitter #BlackLivesMatter

theguardian.com/world/2020/apr…

@nature @Anthrofuentes What does science say reduces police brutality? Generally speaking:

Reduce:
❌Chokeholds
❌Military gear
❌Shooting at cars

Require:
✅Try alternatives BEFORE pulling a gun
✅Duty to intervene
✅Transparency
✅Accountability
✅Invest in the community
✅Decrease racism

BUT...

@nature @Anthrofuentes Shockingly little is known for sure due to a serious lack of research. This research is SUPER complex, and only began in earnest in 2014. And due to structural protectionism, researchers often report that it’s like pulling teeth to access records.

scientificamerican.com/article/what-t…

@nature @Anthrofuentes The biggest barrier, though, is that police violence is a VERY complex issue with variables that change from town to town.

- Situational variables
- Lack of accountability
- Lack of transparency
- Psychology & culture
- The way police departments are set up organizationally

@nature @Anthrofuentes Honestly, we just desperately need more research on police violence. Black researchers should be leading the charge, and institutions should support them in doing so. And as with any complex public health issue, partnership with communities are crucial. #ShutDownSTEM #BlackInSTEM

@nature @Anthrofuentes That all having been said, we've learned a LOT in the past 6ish yrs. Measures previously thought to make sense, such as body cams or bias training, have actually not been found to help much when subjected to rigorous research. For example...

@nature @Anthrofuentes Body cams make a lot of sense at first glance, but a huge randomized study (a type of very high quality study) found that it doesn’t change officers’ behaviors at all.
pnas.org/content/116/21…

@nature @Anthrofuentes Some things have actually been found to make things WORSE. This study in Nature Human Behaviour found that “proactive” policing measures, such as stop and frisk, that are focused on preventing low-level crimes, actually INCREASES crime in an area:

nature.com/articles/s4156…

@nature @Anthrofuentes This study in @PNASNews indicated that increased exposure to policing causes stress and disrupts development in adolescent boys. #ShutDownSTEM #BlackLivesMatter

pnas.org/content/116/17…

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews In a 2016 article, pediatricians expressed concern about the effects of policing on child health. Exposure to repeated questioning and violence causes stress, and parental incarceration increases risk of anxiety, asthma, PTSD, and migraines. #ShutDownSTEM

pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/137/3/…

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews Because proactive policing is not supported by the evidence, we’re urging individuals and organizations alike to resist government efforts to escalate proactive and militarized policing on their properties and in their communities. And we’re not alone in doing so... #ShutDownSTEM

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews In an open letter, over 1,000 public health professionals called white supremacy a “lethal public health issue” & called for protection of protestors from COVID: Avoid confinement🚓 & cease the use of chemical weapons, wear masks, provide medical support.

drive.google.com/file/d/1Jyfn4W…

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews Chemical weapons like tear gas are a respiratory irritant and increase secretions, thus increasing risk of both contracting and spreading COVID-19. Also, officers have been seen standing close to protestors without masks. (For the gazillionth time, WEAR A MASK!) #ShutDownSTEM

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews On June 1, @AAMCtoday called on the medical community to partner with communities to “dismantle structural racism and end police brutality” and “move from rhetoric to action to eliminate the inequities” in medicine. #ShutDownSTEM #MedTwitter
aamc.org/news-insights/…

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews @AAMCtoday But here’s the thing: We, the March for Science movement, are founded on principles of equity and justice. At the end of the day, there is no need to scientifically justify people’s basic humanity.

marchforscience.org/our-mission/

@nature @Anthrofuentes @PNASNews @AAMCtoday We condemn police brutality, and the system that perpetuates it. We weep for the shameful legacy of slavery upon which this country was built. We affirm the fundamental right of every Black person to go for a run, to go birdwatching, to breathe the air.

https://twitter.com/MarchForScience/status/1268649712195973125

@threader_app compile