#BlackinNeuroWeek launches
Early in July, Angeline Dukes, a fourth-year graduate student researcher in neurobiology and behavior at the University of California, Irvine, noticed people promoting #BlackBirdersWeek and #BlackInAstroWeek. So she tweeted, when’s #BlackInNeuroWeek? She and 21 other organizers who responded to her tweet are answering with #BlackInNeuroWeek, which starts today on Twitter and Instagram. I spoke with Dukes to learn more.
You are celebrating Black people in neuroscience. What other themes do you address?
It was really important for us to include a day highlighting the racism in our field. People might think that science is inclusive and that racism doesn't happen, but we think that's completely not true. We are often the only ones in our department or at our school. And the higher up in rank you go, there are just fewer and fewer of us. Helping trainees find mentors can make the difference between whether someone finishes their degree program or not or stays on this career path or not.
Why is forming this community especially important now?
As we're witnessing instances of police brutality and dealing with white supremacy and talking about systemic racism, it's very burdensome, especially for Black students. We still have to go to lab. We still have to keep our grades up. Knowing you have people you can talk to about it who are experiencing the same thing — that aspect of community is incredibly important.
You are celebrating Black people in neuroscience. What other themes do you address?
It was really important for us to include a day highlighting the racism in our field. People might think that science is inclusive and that racism doesn't happen, but we think that's completely not true. We are often the only ones in our department or at our school. And the higher up in rank you go, there are just fewer and fewer of us. Helping trainees find mentors can make the difference between whether someone finishes their degree program or not or stays on this career path or not.
Why is forming this community especially important now?
As we're witnessing instances of police brutality and dealing with white supremacy and talking about systemic racism, it's very burdensome, especially for Black students. We still have to go to lab. We still have to keep our grades up. Knowing you have people you can talk to about it who are experiencing the same thing — that aspect of community is incredibly important.
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