Welcome to the Black Microbiologists Association (BMA)! We are excited to have you in our community! This is a living document and is subject to changes and updates as required. Any changes or updates made to the code of conduct will be announced in the slack workspace.
The BMA, also known as Black In Microbiology, was formed in response to the success of Black in Microbiology Week 2020. This group consists of people across the field of microbiology, at different professional levels and with different identities. In order to ensure that this is a safe space for all members, it is essential that we have a set of ethics and principles for conduct.
What is the Black Microbiologists Association?
Our mission is to:
- Highlight the presence and accomplishments of Black microbiologists from around the globe.
- Connect Black microbiologists with one another and foster a sense of community among them.
- Provide a forum for the discussion of racial disparities in microbiology and its subfields.
- Uplift Black scientists in all fields, acknowledge the contributions to their disciplines, and support the collective work of pursuing equity in academe, industry, government, and beyond.
What does this Code of Conduct Cover?
The code of conduct covers all comments and behaviors both inside and outside our Slack channel. BMA members are also expected to follow this code of conduct in all of their interactions with the overall #BlackInMicro community on social media such as Slack, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Summary of Key Points
We are dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment, regardless of background or identity. By participating in this community, participants agree to abide by the Code of Conduct and accept the procedures by which any Code of Conduct incidents are resolved.
- Use welcoming and inclusive language
- Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences
- Don’t make assumptions about the identities of others
- Gracefully accept constructive criticism
- Acknowledge and respect the creative and energetic investments of others ● Focus on what is best for the community
- Help promote consistency in media coverage
- Show courtesy and respect towards other community members
If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it to the Board of Directors via this form, who will take the appropriate action to address the situation. Conflict should be handled in a professional manner, with good faith efforts by all parties involved. It is therefore NOT appropriate to assume and/or accuse others of mal-intent publicly on platforms such as Twitter or other social media.
Reported violations will be promptly addressed with the person in question upon receipt of the form. First offenses will be addressed informally in writing with the exception of extreme violations in which the offender will be removed immediately. Repeat (3+) offenders will be removed from the association.
Details
- We ask all members to respect confidentiality. Honor the stories of our members. The BMA slack channel is intended to function as a safe space for our members to communicate. Sometimes this may include difficult topics and experiences. For this reason, we take confidentiality very seriously. Under no circumstances should information/content be shared or screenshots be taken and/or shared of any conversations that occur within the slack. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in immediate expulsion from the slack and BMA membership.
- Be mindful to not speak for others or for one’s whole identity group. No group is a monolith.
- Approach the complex identity of each person with respect
- Endeavor to use inclusive language. This means:
- Do not assume anyone’s racial/cultural identity
- Avoid generalizations
- Do not assume gender identities/sexual orientation
- Be mindful of disabilities and avoid ableist language
- Standards for Social Media Interactions
- Don’t make posts that presume to represent the entire BMA / BlackInMicro organization.
- All requests for official comments/statements/interviews/highlights from official organizations, journalists, or other media platforms must be forwarded to the BMA leadership.
- Please notify the leadership of requests for coverage by an individual’s home institution so that we can follow up/promote the coverage.
- Please use content warnings/trigger warnings (CW/TW) when you share sensitive content
By signing up for the Black Microbiologists Association you agree to abide by these terms.