Geology examines questions about the earth and other planets, utilizes the fundamental principles of physics and chemistry, and employs a broad palette of tools, including isotopes,field observations, the fossil record, lab experiments recreating extreme conditions, and remote sensing. The field is rich in scope and opportunity, ranging from ample fieldwork occupations to research and classroom teaching, which allows for many options for those who pursue a degree in Geology and other Earth Sciences. But like many other fields, there is a problem with a lack of diversity of the people studying and employed in the Earth Sciences (for more on this, see our section on Environmental Science). Less than 10% of geoscience PhDs go to people of color. This limits the diversity and quality of research and is the single largest cultural problem the geoscience currently face. The study of planet Earth, its oceans, its atmosphere and its interactions with human society only has approximately 4% of its tenured employees identifying as persons of color and this has not changed in over four decades (Goldberg, 2019). A pipeline problem has been cited, in that there are not as many people of color studying earth science. This was discussed in more detail in the Environmental Science section can be partially attributed to the treatment Black people have received when enjoying nature. Robert Stanton,the first Black director of the National Park Service, who says that“black folks don’t like parks” has become a “self-fulfilling prophecy”(Bernard & Copper dock,2018). Another factor may be limited exposure to nature in earlier schooling due to schools' lack of resources which makes field trips to experience and learn about nature limited.A lack of representation by the very people who live in areas where the most drastic effects of climate change limits the strength of the discipline. Further this limits Geology’s ability to effectively address climate change. Lorelei Curtin, a fifth-yearPh.D. student at Columbia University calls attention to the importance of highlighting indigenous and people of color’s voices who may be deeply connected to the land. She began a book club that brings Geoscientists together for discussions of race and white privilege. The Geoscientists were not used to this kind of work, but it helped facilitate much needed discussions surrounding racism and discrimination in the field. As a result of the findings mentioned in this piece, the diversity director of the institution has written an article in Nature Geoscience entitled, “Race and Racism in the Geosciences,” that was so popular that the journal’s editors removed its paywall.It describes the differing ways white people and people of color view racism. The director also hosted a discussion, which was standing room only.The less diverse a field is, the less inviting it is to students of color, and a greater percentage of students of color end up leaving the field in comparison to white students.
The notion of a colorblind approach to the work of Geoscience reinforces race being defaulted to white and practitioners often engage in racist behavior despite not being overtly racist. This same diversity officer for the school’s Geosciences department has observed that white faculty consider race as incidental, while students of color see it as a large part of their identity. They do not however wish to discuss issues of race with their white colleagues, as they worry it may create tension, and in many circumstances, students of color worry about jeopardizing their job security. Implicit racism in the society writ large also can be applied to Geosciences. It is hard for White Geoscientists to see how they are privileged and perhaps do not see the systemic racism that renders them so. Talking about this may make them uncomfortable as they do not like the implication that they contribute to this, especially when they have other ways in which they may have been disadvantaged. The author additionally states, “when it is the norm to be White, maintaining the comfort of White people becomes part of the unwritten code of a culture, a code that people of colour often follow.” (Dutt, 2019).Part of the privilege that White Geoscientists have is the ability to be oblivious to their counterparts of color. If the goal is a Geosciences where all are welcomed, dominant groups need to take ownership in the culture shift rather than having the Geoscientists of color bear the responsibility. In general, people who do not experience a certain type of discrimination tend to dismiss it as not real. In the case of students in the Geosciences, this can drive students of color away from the field. In order for diversity and inclusion to take place, everyone must feel a sense of belonging. Some suggestions for White Geoscientists the author suggests are as follows:
- Separate the fact that you do benefit from white privilege and you are a good person.
- Read and learn about people of color
- Talk about this with White colleagues
The author also points out that affinity bias, or the tendency to get along with or seek out others who are like us, is a problem at the institutional level and higher education in general needs to appoint more people of color in leadership and put resources into faculty and students of color. Diversity and inclusion needs to be prioritized on par with scientific professional development. A massive shift has to occur to move the Geosciences past passively non-racist to actively anti-racist (Dutt, 2019).
Another important step in supporting students of color in the Earth Sciences is to address safety issues surrounding field work. Field work can evoke justifiable fears in students of color and present actual danger. An account of feeling unsafe and experiencing racism from a Black Fieldwork student in a recent youtube video demonstrates this. The student describes their experiences and offers suggestions for White field supervisors/faculty on how to help keep students of color safe while in the field. (Black Thoughts, 2020).
