Dear SoundBio family,

As the caretakers of an organization committed to equity, the SoundBio Lab Board would like to make explicit our support for the Black community and our opposition to systemic racism in policing, criminal justice, and all other forms of targeted racism that pervade our society.

STEM is not a neutral force in the world. Science has been used for centuries to legitimize violence and oppression of Black, Indigenous, non-White, Queer people and women for centuries. That legacy has not disappeared nor does science represent or benefit people equitably. We believe in the power of science and technology to be outlets for human curiosity and tools for positive transformation. We follow through on that belief not by waiting patiently for advancement within existing institutions but by creating our own spaces for learning and doing. In this vein, we support protest and we support international calls for systemic change.

We are part of an international movement of community labs advocating for change within STEM. We’d like to share the sentiments and resources put together by Ramy Kim, President of Counter Culture Labs in Oakland, CA.

Take action

LEARN: There are a wealth of excellent resources. Those curated by 500 Women in Science provide a great starting point.
DONATE: Black Lives Matter, Seattle ; Seattle Indian Health Board.
DEMONSTRATE. We encourage everyone who is able to safely participate in street protest to do so, in whatever peaceful form, and to sustain that momentum until meaningful reform is achieved.
TALK to your friends and family.

Commitments from the SoundBio Board

The following are ambitions of the SoundBio Board and we welcome the involvement and support of all who are interested. Get in touch at info@sound.bio.

Diversifying our governance structures, including the Board and committees.
Funding, marketing and implementing fee waivers to remove financial barriers to community science and learning for those from groups underrepresented in STEM.
- Facilitating an event series on discrimination and equity in STEM.
Build relationships with local organizations, in STEM education and beyond, to generate new paths to support the Black community and promote equity in STEM.
Focusing our science outreach work on benefiting students from underrepresented groups.

With solidarity in action,

Andy, Anna, Orlando, Regina and Yoshi

The SoundBio Lab Board