1/5. I have a lot of thoughts on effects of racism on scientists, the scientific enterprise, and the future of the scientific workforce. I shared some of those thoughts in this month’s @scicareersltys column. https://twitter.com/scicareersltys/status/1272989911675699200

2/5. While writing this column I consulted with some senior colleagues/mentors to make sure the stories I shared (particularly the ones about academia) were “safe enough” to share, given that I’m still pre-tenure. See also: https://twitter.com/NeilLewisJr/status/1269975309534875649?s=20

3/5. That process made me reflect on something else. This week (Friday) is Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US and celebrating freedom. (See: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/juneteenth-our-other-independence-day-16340952/). We talk a lot about freedom of speech in this country…

4/5. But one of the things I’ve been thinking about, particularly in light of the recent #BlackintheIvory conversation, is who actually has the freedom to tell their stories without (fear of) retribution from those in power in even our most ostensibly progressive institutions.

5/5. I don’t have anything wise to say about this, it’s just something I’ve been thinking about given the various conversations we’ve had over the past few years, whether they be about sexism, racism, and other forms of injustice in academic (and other types of) institutions.