C4DISC founding organizations represent nonprofit and commercial academic publishers, open access publishers, library publishers and librarians, and editors. As a collective, we are shocked, angered, and disheartened by the senseless murders of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Botham Jean, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Jamar Clark, Dreasjon “Sean” Reed, Ezell Ford, Michelle Shirley, Redel Jones, Kenney Watkins, and so many other black citizens, many of whom remain unnamed, in the United States. Police have perpetrated many of these callous crimes, and for far too long white people have tacitly condoned them by remaining silent. However, this injustice goes well beyond police actions. It is a product of the legacy of systemic racism that has flourished not just in the United States but around the world.
We support the hundreds of thousands who have joined protests and demonstrations across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, and South America and join their calls to eliminate pervasive inequities and violence perpetrated on oppressed peoples. As an international Coalition focused on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion of underrepresented groups in scholarly communications, we issue this statement of solidarity with those protesting the enduring racial discrimination against and the brutalization and murders of our community members who are black, indigenous, and people of color.
The Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) was founded to promote involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across identity groups and professional levels among those who work in scholarly communications. We encourage all who work in this field to do everything possible to create welcoming, inclusive spaces for people from traditionally underrepresented groups.
We acknowledge and applaud the following statements of anti-racism and solidarity issued by some members of our Coalition, and we invite all scholarly communications organizations to join us in showing support for making this Coalition stronger. We do that by making our community more diverse, equal, and inclusive. Join us in this journey by adopting our Joint Statement of Principles and sharing them on your website. Learn more at c4disc.org.