So in 2017, I was working at this really amazing science institution.

And one of the things that I got to do at my job included this outreach program with kids.

And part of it was getting these urban public school city kids, you know, into the wilderness and taking

them camping.

We set up tents and had them camp under the stars. We would set traps and catch snapping turtles.

One of the main goals was to be really inspiring and kind of training these young kids of color to, you know, be the next scientists. And it was a small part of my job at that institution,

but it was one of my favorite parts of my job there.

And yet, you know, not everything was perfect.

Because a few weeks after that outdoor trip, a big national tragedy occurred.

White pride, there's nothing wrong with being robbed anymore.

There's this big demonstration of white supremacist in Charlottesville, Virginia.

And things had turned violent when a car was driven into some counter protesters and someone was killed.

The car just plowed through hundreds of people downtown Charlottesville.

And I remember the day after walking into work and being really crushed by this and distracted and confused.

I sat down in my office and, you know, I looked at the news and I saw that so many, like,

big science institutions were releasing statements saying that racism has no place, you know,

in their institutions. And, you know, it's like, it's just words. And yet it offers some, like, emotional support.

And I kept waiting for my institution's statement to pop up.

And, like, the day went on and it never did.

And I found myself thinking about those kids that I was just with.

And these kids were primarily like black and brown future scientists who might one day work at that institution. And it was during that time I made a personal commitment to unapologetically include social justice advocacy in my science work.

And I found myself emailing the president of my institution and demanding that our institution

...