Many characterize science as disinterested: as the dispassionate search for the truth of nature, and unconcerned with politics and justice. At KITP we know this to be inaccurate. Science is most fruitful when scientists collaborate, share their experiences and join together as a community. Science is a human endeavor and one that KITP works tirelessly to support in all ways possible.
The shocking death of George Floyd and the persistence of racism in our society force us to examine our human enterprise of physics and its role in the larger enterprise of a decent and just society. To pursue physics as both a passion and a vocation is truly a privilege and obliges us to root out racism in all its many forms. We are committed to support our Black physics colleagues, and Black people more broadly, by working to ensure that physics serves as an ideal inclusive community and a model for the larger society. We at the KITP reaffirm our commitment to this goal, and, as we move forward, to not forget the vastness of the pain spotlighted by recent events.