Message from MSA President & MSA Student Council
To our Microscopy Society Community:
During a time when we are unable to gather in person, we are uplifted by seeing our young leaders working together to promote an inclusive community.
MSA Council created a Student Council in 2017, with the primary motivation of giving voice to the next generation of microscopists. The leaders of the MSA Student Council have used that voice to collaboratively write the letter below, stating their unwavering support to those facing racial injustices, specifically to those belonging to Black communities and other communities of color both in the United States and abroad. Their leadership and vocal stance against racism gives us hope for the future of not only our society, but of the global community.
As a community, MSA values each of our members, and we realize it is imperative to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment. Now more than ever, doing so requires us to move beyond self-reflection and take action. To that end, we have established an equity task force. This task force will evaluate our practices, language and decisions, and provide detailed recommendations on how we as a society can improve our culture of inclusivity. This is not work that can be done overnight, but it is work that requires urgent and ongoing action today, tomorrow and all the days that follow. While it is the responsibility of the leadership to take these first steps, we ask you to join us in our efforts to produce large and lasting change in this movement towards equity.
We look forward to seeing you in August at our virtual Microscopy & Microanalysis meeting.
Sincerely,
Esther Bullitt, MSA President
Peter Crozier, MSA President-Elect, and Student Council Liaison