ITGC Supports Black Lives Matter

The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) community supports the Black Lives Matter movement, recognizing that racism takes lives and breeds hate. We know that racism masquerades in many forms – including more subtle forms that keep Black, Indigenous, and People of Color out of the room and silence their voices, forms that stereotype people because of the color of their skin or deny them jobs because of their name. This is a problem rooted in centuries of injustice.

Antarctic research in the US and UK has a 150+ year long history of being led by white males. Indeed, early explorers to Antarctica were white males who rarely acknowledged how much they owed to Black and Indigenous peoples. In present times, People of Color find few role models and steer away, or are steered away, from careers in geoscience research. Those who pursue the research field have faced barriers in hiring and academic acceptance and advancement. Women of Color face even greater barriers in these dimensions.

The cultural values of the ITGC researchers and staff are to respect, accept, and include all who wish to enter a career of science and academia. We embrace and recognise the importance of taking a stand against racism and strive for diversity and equality of opportunity in the lab, in the field, and in the office. We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teams that represent all backgrounds. Discrimination on grounds of race, age, sex, religious beliefs, gender identity or sexual orientation has no place in ITGC.

We know that to engage deeply in anti-racist work involves more than just writing a statement. It involves the on-going and longer-term commitment to practising justice. The researchers and staff of ITGC recognize that we have a long road ahead to turn our words into a path of action. We are committed to creating change and have focused our attention on addressing this issue throughout the breadth of our collaboration. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are a part of the planning and discussion at ITGC meetings and will continue to be a priority as we develop a blueprint with specifics. We encourage discussion, seek dialogue, and embrace collaboration to ensure our aspirations are reflected in reality.

We will update this statement with a plan that outlines in concrete steps how ITGC will work together, and within each of our projects, to widen our diversity, to accept and welcome People of Color, and to build career structures that encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to be supported in the science community. And we will continue to challenge ourselves, and the entire research and innovation sector, to reflect on whether we as individuals, and as a community, are doing enough to eradicate racism.

ITGC Science Coordination Office

Ted Scambos
David Vaughan
Sarah Berry
Athena Dinar
Elaina Ford
Betsy Sheffield
Margie Turrin
 

ITGC Principal Investigators

Jeremy Bassis, DOMINOS
Doug Benn, DOMINOS
Brent Goehring, GHC
Joanna Johnson, GHC
Sridhar Anandakrishnan, GHOST
Andy Smith, GHOST
David Holland, MELT
Keith Nicholls, MELT
Hilmar Gudmundsson, PROPHET
Mathieu Morlighem, PROPHET
Karen Heywood, TARSAN
Erin Pettit, TARSAN
Robert Larter, THOR
Julia Wellner, THOR
Poul Christoffersen, TIME
Slawek Tulaczyk, TIME