Dear Associates,

Thank you for participating in our springboard discussion about diversity and inclusion at Hubbard Brook during the annual meeting. It was our goal to open a discussion and to think about the ways that we can make Hubbard Brook a place that is welcoming as we try to rectify the racial imbalances that persist here.

I hope that as we have this discussion, we can do it in a way that feels respectful and inclusive—and that we will find the generosity to allow each other to make mistakes and also the courage to speak up when we see a problem. I think that if we are not able to make that space, it becomes difficult to have an open discussion and for people to learn from their mistakes.

To that end, as an organizer, I need to apologize about the tone of the presentation before the break-out groups. It is not our objective to silence white men and flip over the power dynamic. Instead, if we are going to do lasting work, we need to create a space where all voices can be heard and where we can bring all of our creativity to uprooting these complicated and sometimes insidious dynamics. And we need to recognize that both the problems and the solutions are complex.

I was very heartened by the frankness of the discussion and the many suggestions for breaking down barriers of many sorts—scientific, social, external, internal. And, I want to voice that Hubbard Brook looks really different now than it did 25 years ago. I do not believe that it would have been possible to have this discussion then. While this path may be painful, we are certainly moving forward.

I hope that you will stay engaged with this process and continue to think about how we can benefit, as a community, from the intellectual power from the broadest segment of society—and how we can be a benefit to a wider cross-section of society.

We invite you to join in a discussion of the feedback from the break-out groups in order to set priorities for our next steps. Please contact Clara if you would like to participate.

Best regards,

Linda Pardo