Addressing Systemic Oppression in Physics: From Root Causes to Strategic Action

It is reasonable to characterize the physics community as one that is united around a deep curiosity regarding the fundamental nature of the universe and the processes that produce the associated evidentiary data. Through that lens, I will examine how the physics community --- from institutions to individuals --- works to understand and address the roots of systemic oppression and marginalization of peoples in our research spaces. We will discuss multiple aspects of the symptoms and root causes of oppression; the social and organizational science research on the efficacy of diversity and inclusion initiatives; and recent developments in building community around new leadership modalities.