Resources about Racism and Colonialism
Interested in learning more below is a list of resources to learn more about the Academy's history, as well othe
A list of resources to learn more about the Academy's history, as well other resources about the colonialism and racism in Science and Museums.
Colonial History of the Academy and Science by Rebekah Kim (2022)
- Rebekah Kim, the Academy’s Head Librarian, talks about the history of science, the legacy of colonialism and racism at the Academy, and about learning from our past to forge a more equitable future of science.
IBSS DEIA Seminar Series (2022)
- This seminar series hosted by the Academy’s Institute for Biodiversity Science & Sustainability (IBSS) delves into the history of scientific racism, colonial legacies in museums and collections, community partnerships in research, and any other topics that address racism and colonialism in science.
Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race: Race is a myth. Racism is a reality. (2023)
- A podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine. Published through Distillations, the Science History Institute’s highly acclaimed digital content platform, the project examines the scientific origins of support for racist theories, practices, and policies.
Long Division: Persistence of Race Science (2022)
- LONG DIVISION is an ongoing journalistic project by Undark Magazine, published by the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, that examines the fraught legacy of race science.
Museums: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2022)
- John Oliver discusses some of the world’s most prestigious museums, why they contain so many stolen goods, the market that continues to illegally trade antiquities, and a pretty solid blueprint for revenge.
Nature Read in Black and White: decolonial approaches to interpreting natural history collections by Subhadra Das and Miranda Lowe (2018)
- Das and Lowe argue the absence about the history of collecting – particularly in relation to colonial histories – perpetuates structural racism within modern society by whitewashing a history where science, racism, and colonial power were inherently entwined.
- Popular article about this research article Are Natural History Museums Inherently Racist? Josh Davis 2019. Natural History Museum, London.
Racism, Not Race: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions by Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan H. Goodman (2021)
- In this book, two distinguished scientists tackle common misconceptions about race, human biology, and racism. Using an accessible question-and-answer format, Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan H. Goodman explain the differences between social and biological notions of race.
Responses to 10 common criticisms of anti-racism action in STEMM by Gosztyla ML, Kwong L, Murray NA, Williams CE, Behnke N, Curry P, et al. (2021)
- This team of authors represents a collaboration between scientists from historically marginalized groups and their allies. By compiling published academic literature, we hope to directly confront racist ideology in STEMM with evidence-based arguments while simultaneously amplifying the research and perspectives of scholars of color. Our broad goal in articulating this information is to facilitate more productive conversations (and, in turn, tangible systemic changes) toward addressing racial discrimination within STEMM.
Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini (2019)
- An astute and timely examination of the re-emergence of scientific research into racial differences. Superior tells the disturbing story of the persistent thread of belief in biological racial differences in the world of science.
- Listen to Angela Saini on the Code Switch podcast Is 'Race Science' Making A Comeback?
