The MIT Governance Lab is participating in the #ShutDownAcademia strike on June 10th, committing to

No research * No meetings * No classes * No business as usual

Instead, we will be committing time and energy to education and action for Anti-Racism and Black lives. The following text is shared from the organizing website:

“#ShutDownAcademia and #ShutDownSTEM is an initiative from a multi-identity, intersectional coalition of STEM professionals and academics taking action for Black lives. These efforts build on– and would not be possible without– the long history of Black activism, scholarship, and leadership in the fight for Black lives.

Academia and STEM are global endeavors that sustain a racist system, where Black people are murdered. No matter where you physically live, you impact and are impacted by this moment in history. This is not exclusive to the United States. We must all work against anti-Black racism…”

[…]

“On June 10, 2020, we will #ShutDownAcademia, #ShutDownSTEM, and #Strike4BlackLives.

In the wake of the most recent murders of Black people in the US, it is clear that white and other non-Black people have to step up and do the work to eradicate anti-Black racism. As members of the global academic and STEM communities, we have an enormous ethical obligation to stop doing “business as usual.” No matter where we physically live, we impact and are impacted by this moment in history.

Our responsibility starts with our role in society. In academia, our thoughts and words turn into new ways of knowing. Our research papers turn into media releases, books and legislation that reinforce anti-Black narratives. In STEM, we create technologies that affect every part of our society and are routinely weaponized against Black people…”

Read the full text online.

Artwork shared from the organizing website.