12 September 2022
Following the success of the two previous toolkits, the Anti Racism Toolkit for Allies and the Anti Racism Toolkit for Organizations, C4DISC is now releasing the Anti Racism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in Scholarly Publishing. This new toolkit is the result of the work of a group of BIPOC-identifying publishing professionals of all levels from across the United States and Canada. The objective is to be a living document and the start of an ongoing conversation, as well as a resource for current and future generations of BIPOC workers in the academic publishing industry.
“Our goal with this toolkit is not to paint our perspectives broadly, but rather, to draw from personal experiences so that other BIPOC might be seen, to provide practical advice, and to share resources that we hope will help BIPOC staff not just survive but thrive in academic publishing.”
The toolkit is structured in three main parts, includes valuable references and a further guidance and support section. The first part is about the barriers BIPOC have to overcome when entering the publishing Industry, like the inaccessibility of training resources and the lack of or limited BIPOC representation and mentors. The second part is about the importance of creating community with and across groups of BIPOC and building an anti-racist culture. The third part is about the publishing industry, and aspects like networking, building mentorship and sponsorship relations. The document also contains a series of resources on networking and career development and gives practical advice on how to improve inclusivity in day-to-day work. Finally, the toolkit supports authenticity at work, helps us identify parameters of well-being, and gives valuable tips for managing the side effects of code switching.
“In the larger scope of an increasingly unequal world where racialized people suffer in many different ways, this particular toolkit, the Antiracism Toolkit for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), is a small yet specific contribution, and one that we hope will be meaningful and useful to BIPOC-identifying individuals navigating an industry that can be wonderful, but also hostile.”
This toolkit is for BIPOC people and for non-BIPOC people living in a diverse world, all of us who are committed to making the scholarly publishing industry more just and welcoming.
List/Name the Volunteers
- Martha Alvarado Anderson, University of Arkansas
- Amber Avila, George Washington University
- Mike Baccam, University of Washington Press
- Thane Chambers, University of Alberta
- Niccole Coggins, American Psychological Association
- Christina Davies, GRAPHEK
- Harrison W. Inefuku, Iowa State University
- Ellen Kim, GRAPHEK
- Walter Kim, GRAPHEK
- Shaina Lange, American Chemical Society
- Nancy Lu, GRAPHEK
- Rebecca S. McLeod, Harvard University
- Alejandra M. Mejía, Duke University Press
- Swapna Padhye, Oxford University Press
- Mark A. Puente, Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies
- Nhora Lucía Serrano, PhD, Hamilton College
- Damita Snow, CAE, American Society of Civil Engineers
- Dawit Tegbaru, Knowledge Futures Group
- Randy Townsend, George Washington University and Public Library of Science
- Jasmine Wallace, American Society for Microbiology
- Kerry E. Webb, University of Texas Press
(Editor's note: UKSG is proud to be founding member and active participant in this initiative)