CNS Statement: Black Lives Matter 

The Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) stands against racism, hate, and injustice.  We affirm unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. CNS condemns all acts of discrimination and violence against Black people and other people of color. As an international organization, CNS is committed to the fight against racism, and to promoting inclusion and diversity in science and academia globally. Yet, we recognize we can and must do more.  

This year, CNS held its annual conference virtually, which enabled us to reach a wider audience, making our science more accessible than ever before. As a society, we have learned from this experience and will work harder to improve our inclusivity and access going forward. We will also increase our efforts to leverage our science to support societal change, as well as to shine a light on these important issues.  

Many of you in the USA have probably heard about the #ShutDownSTEM and #ShutDownAcademia initiatives that are taking place on June 10, 2020. CNS endorses this movement, and we encourage our members to engage with some of the resources on the #ShutDownSTEM website to deepen understanding of systemic and institutional racism and to further the efforts to fight racism in academia and STEM globally. 

Our Governing Board and our Diversity, Outreach, and Training Committee will be thinking hard about ways that the Society can be more active in amplifying the voices of Black scientists and promoting diversity and inclusion within our scientific community, as well as how our science and public communication can help advance equality and equity in the world at large. June 10th will be an important opportunity to focus on those issues and to make concrete plans for future action by CNS. We have invited our membership to send their thoughts and suggestions to us. 

-CNS Governing Board