OOS 39-4 - Making ecology more diverse, inclusive, and equitable through the efforts of Black ecologists within ESA

Following several high-profile police shootings of Black people in the mid-2010s, a group of Black ecologists jump-started a new organization (i.e., the Black Ecologists Section) to serve as a safe space for its members and address the many challenges Black people face in academia. Officially founded in 2016, the Black Ecologists Section instantly established an international network of professionals that created academic, social, and cultural support for Black ecologists across ESA and beyond. Furthermore, the Black Ecologists Sections aimed to develop and foster efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of Black ecologists within ESA. In this presentation, the efforts of the Black Ecologists Section will be highlighted. Since its inception in 2016, the Black Ecologists Section has grown to 120+ members, with regular community events and workshops to create a sense of belonging and capacity building. Collectively, the Black Ecologists Section has contributed to numerous symposia at ESA’s annual meeting, published 10+ articles relating to the need to incorporate diverse perspectives in ecology, and most recently have been responsible for a special collection across ESA’s journals to highlight Black scholars in ecology. Thus, the efforts of the Black Ecologists have been instrumental in creating a community of Black ecologists across ESA and have raised awareness of the community’s challenges. While much work is still needed to make ecology representative of society, the Black Ecologists Section is doing its part to ensure the field is diverse, inclusive, and equitable.