Hidden figures in ecology and evolution

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe TO THE EDITOR — Equity efforts consistently disregard the perspectives, contributions and accomplishments of Black women. Habitually, Black

women’s accomplishments are marginalized in favour of white and/or male agendas. This societal disregard dates back to the women’s rights movement, includes the civil rights movement and is

present in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) equity interventions. For example, Harriet Tubman is broadly recognized for contributions to the abolition of slavery, but

her contributions to women’s rights, her importance as a feminist and her contributions to anti-racism are under-acknowledged1. Similarly, the vision and activities of Black men dominate

presentations of the civil rights movement while the contributions of Black women are frequently portrayed as symbolic2. To date, STEM diversity initiatives have been successful in promoting

inclusion for white women at the expense of scholars of colour3, and especially Black women3,4. To do the work of justice and equity in ecology and evolution (EE) and beyond, particularly

to ensure women of colour are not ignored, we need to adopt attitudes of feminist scientists and scholars who view the world with a more intersectional lens. Too often, Black women are

forcibly presented with the choice to acknowledge gender or racial identities, diminishing the power and innovation resultant from integration with detriment to inclusivity. If we are to be

successful in decolonizing racial, structural biases in EE, we must combat barriers to the success of Black women and be intentional to include and promote their contributions. However, we

must challenge the _Nature Ecology & Evolution_ editorial conclusion that “admitting students and recruiting junior researchers and faculty is perhaps where the biggest failing of

academic institutions occurs”5. Such a sentiment discounts and ignores the many seasoned and young Black women scholars who possess or are currently pursuing EE degrees or careers.

Retention, not recruitment, is the primary issue. Black women declare STEM majors at the same rate6, but are not retained due to inequities stemming from racialized, social hierarchies that

privilege their white counterparts7. In all that we do, it is critical to remember and re-state that, “when they [Black women] enter, we all enter”8. Making room for the most marginalized

among us makes room for us all. Highlighting the work of women of colour in EE with intersecting underrepresented identities gives greater value to our collective work and increases our

capacity to overcome systemic biases in inclusion and equity. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution RELEVANT ARTICLES Open Access articles citing this

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_Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences_ Open Access 21 December 2024 * TOWARDS EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN OCEAN SCIENCES * Asha de Vos * , Sergio Cambronero-Solano *  … Paris V.

Stefanoudis _npj Ocean Sustainability_ Open Access 13 December 2023 * COMMUNITY VOICES: ACHIEVING REAL DIVERSITY IN STEM REQUIRES THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM INSTITUTIONS * Jory C. Lerback * ,

Monique M. Holt *  … Stephanie Alvarez _Nature Communications_ Open Access 25 March 2022 ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

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during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Ramdani, F. _Eur. J. Am. Stud._ 10, 1–23

(2015). Article  Google Scholar  * Farmer, A. D. _Remaking Black Power_ (The Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2017). * Miriti, M. N. _BioScience_ 70, 237–242 (2020). Article  Google Scholar 

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Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA Maria N. Miriti *

University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA Karen Bailey * School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia,

MO, USA Samniqueka J. Halsey * Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Applied Wildlife Ecology (AWE) Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Nyeema C. Harris Authors * Maria

N. Miriti View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Karen Bailey View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar * Samniqueka J. Halsey View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Nyeema C. Harris View author publications You can also search for this

author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Maria N. Miriti. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing interests. RIGHTS AND

PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Miriti, M.N., Bailey, K., Halsey, S.J. _et al._ Hidden figures in ecology and evolution. _Nat Ecol Evol_ 4, 1282

(2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1270-y Download citation * Published: 27 July 2020 * Issue Date: October 2020 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1270-y SHARE THIS ARTICLE

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