Press Release: Anti Racism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Scholarly Publishing

Press Release (09/12/2022)

 

 

 

C4DISC is releasing two documents aiming to be a resource to deepen the reflection and a tool to help people in the scholarly publishing world to better deal with DEI challenges: the Anti Racism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Scholarly Publishing and the Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication.

 

Anti Racism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Scholarly Publishing

“Helping Black, Indigenous, and People of Color THRIVE in Scholarly Publishing”

 

Following the success of the two previous toolkits, the Anti Racism Toolkit for Allies and the Anti Racism Toolkit for Organizations, C4DISC is now releasing the Anti Racism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in Scholarly Publishing. This new toolkit is the result of the work of a group of BIPOC-identifying publishing professionals of all levels from across the United States and Canada. The objective is to be a living document and the start of an ongoing conversation, as well as a resource for current and future generations of BIPOC workers in the academic publishing industry.

 

“Our goal with this toolkit is not to paint our perspectives broadly, but rather, to draw from personal experiences so that other BIPOC might be seen, to provide practical advice, and to share resources that we hope will help BIPOC staff not just survive but thrive in academic publishing.”

 

The toolkit is structured in three main parts, includes valuable references and a further guidance and support section. The first part is about the barriers BIPOC have to overcome when entering the publishing Industry, like the inaccessibility of training resources and the lack of or limited BIPOC representation and mentors. The second part is about the importance of creating community with and across groups of BIPOC and building an anti-racist culture. The third part is about the publishing industry, and aspects like networking, building mentorship and sponsorship relations. The document also contains a series of resources on networking and career development and gives practical advice on how to improve inclusivity in day-to-day work. Finally, the toolkit supports authenticity at work, helps us identify parameters of well-being, and gives valuable tips for managing the side effects of code switching.

“In the larger scope of an increasingly unequal world where racialized people suffer in many different ways, this particular toolkit, the Antiracism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), is a small yet specific contribution, and one that we  hope will be meaningful and useful to BIPOC-identifying individuals navigating an  industry that can be wonderful, but also hostile.”

This toolkit is for BIPOC people and for non-BIPOC people living in a diverse world, all of us who are committed to making the scholarly publishing industry more just and welcoming.

 

List/Name the Volunteers

Martha Alvarado Anderson, University of Arkansas

Amber Avila, George Washington University

Mike Baccam, University of Washington Press

Thane Chambers, University of Alberta

Niccole Coggins, American Psychological Association

Christina Davies, GRAPHEK

Harrison W. Inefuku, Iowa State University

Ellen Kim, GRAPHEK

Walter Kim, GRAPHEK

Shaina Lange, American Chemical Society

Nancy Lu, GRAPHEK

Rebecca S. McLeod, Harvard University

Alejandra M. Mejía, Duke University Press

Swapna Padhye, Oxford University Press

Mark A. Puente, Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies

Nhora Lucía Serrano, PhD, Hamilton College

Damita Snow, CAE, American Society of Civil Engineers

Dawit Tegbaru, Knowledge Futures Group

Randy Townsend, George Washington University and Public Library of Science

Jasmine Wallace, American Society for Microbiology

Kerry E. Webb, University of Texas Press

 

About C4DISC:

C4DISC was founded by representatives from 10 trade and professional associations during the 2017 SSP annual  meeting in Boston. Its vision is a socially just community that welcomes, values, and celebrates all who seek to  contribute to scholarly communications and its mission is to work with organizations and individuals to build equity,  inclusion, diversity, and accessibility within the community. C4DISC members meet monthly to address its areas of  focus, including: developing a joint statement of principles; conducting market research; providing training resources,  best practices, toolkits, and documentation for our collective memberships; and establishing outreach programs,  curricula, events, and publications.

Media Contact: c4disc@gmail.com

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