BlackinChem influenced by Black Birders Week
BlackInChem is an organization which aims to highlight and increase the visibility of Black chemists. The organization was created as a response to Black Birders Week. The inaugural event ran from August 10 - 15, 2020.Origins
The initiative was part of a cluster of initiatives, including #BlackBirdersWeek, #BlackinNeuro, #BlackinAstro, #BlackinData, #BlackinGeoscience, #BlackinMicro, and others, prompted in part by the Central Park birdwatching incident and episodes of killings and police brutality against Black Americans such as Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.According to co-founder Ayanna Jones, the goal of the initiative is "for Black chemists at all stages of their careers to network and to encourage one another along a journey that no one should have to undergo alone".