AGU Education Section News

Message from Mark Moldwin, AGU Education Section President

By Stacie Bender posted 06-18-2020 09:50

  
Dear Fellow Educators,

The most recent murder by police of an African American, George Floyd, coming during the COVID-19 pandemic's health and economic suffering, has laid bare the racial disparities of our society and unleashed deep frustration, sadness and anger. These disparities are manifested in health, employment, criminal justice and education.

As educators, we have the responsibility to work to address these disparities. However, as the current crises have so clearly demonstrated, deep rooted systemic change is required. This must begin with individual reflection of our own biases, privileges and beliefs and how they either promote or hinder racial and gender inclusion and equity. Next, we must work collectively to promote dialogue, learning and action to reduce and remove barriers and promote policies, procedures and actions that value contributions from all of our community.

I urge our community to speak out, seek partnerships to resolve the big underlying problems, and be willing to have our institutions disrupted and our comforts and privileges challenged. COVID has brought about a potentially existential threat to the educational system. Our efforts should not be to get back to normal as soon as possible, but to make meaningful change at every level upon which you have influence – personally, within your institution, your local community and within our professional society.

The AGU Education community is committed and dedicated to providing educational and research opportunities for all. We must continue to promote diversity, inclusion and equity and recognize that we have both global and social responsibility to address our current educational, economic, criminal justice and health disparities. I call on all AGU Education members and the broader Earth and Space Sciences Community to recognize the urgency, to recommit to our educational values, to speak truth to power, and to remake our institutions to be empathetic and socially just places where everyone can learn and achieve to their full potential without fear.


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Professor Mark Moldwin

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Education Section President
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