Comments on: Science, Race, and Silence

By: Alan Zuckerman

Alan Zuckerman — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:45:27 +0000

It’s highly frustrating and possibly pointless to lament the strangely warped nature of news coverage. Don’t blame the news, but the people who consume it. The so-called “news” is nothing more than a form of entertainment. Entertainment output is constantly tweaked to ensure the maximum size of its consumer groups. Reporting as it exists is merely a reflection of those majorities who prefer it that way. We are not going to vastly change that bell-curve majority’s tastes–ever. For those of us who judge news by its intrinsic relevance, honesty, open-mindedness, accuracy, implicit incorporation of the scientific method, etc., there is always plenty of worthwhile true news to find–We know where it is located, seek it out. and appreciate it. We can do no more than have an impact by means of our own words and, especially, actions. Let’s not waste our energy railing against the news as entertainment industry. It will distract us from more noble causes.

By: DNLee

DNLee — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:54:12 +0000

thanks for sharing my link with your readers. In included this post in the Black History Month Edition ofthe Diversity in Science carnival.

By: Philip Alcabes

Philip Alcabes — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:08:36 +0000

Thanks, Anne, for this reminder that there are some universities that are trying hard to open doors. And that it’s not only the sciences that need to find ways to do this.

The academic endeavor, when it’s earnest, is all about changing old ways of thinking. And that’s good. But we in academia don’t always think about how we can change the cast of characters who are responsible for establishing and further the old ways of thinking.

I’m glad you’ve joined in here.

By: Philip Alcabes

Philip Alcabes — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:58:21 +0000

Readers who aren’t already familiar with DNLee’s Urban Science Adventures site should take a look at her post on this topic, here: http://urban-science.blogspot.com/2010/02/black-history-month-post-i-never-wanted.html.

(Thanks to Joanne of Joanne Loves Science, http://www.joannelovesscience.com/, for introducing me to DNLee’s site!)

By: DNLee

DNLee — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:39:52 +0000

The diversity of the staff did not escape me. That was a very diverse department. I hope to be apart of an academic department where I’m not the only person of color teaching classes. I wish more departments had that much diversity.

By: Anne Fernald

Anne Fernald — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:51:43 +0000

Thank you for saying this: I was struck by the race of the vicitms, but didn’t think through the implications at all until I read your post. Shame on me! When I taught at DePauw, I worked actively with a consortium working to bring minorities to liberal arts campuses and saw first hand the tremendous positive impact of a diverse faculty on students–especially in encouraging students of color to pursue higher education. This is such a sad, sad tale. We need to do better.