Our Purpose
With black postdoctoral fellows effectively being siloed within their respective institutions throughout the HMS campus, there exists a critical need for the establishment of an HMS-wide network capable of unifying the talented pool of black postdoctoral trainees. Importantly, this unifying body should be comprised of postdocs from both the HMS Quad and its 15 affiliate institutions, as no single HMS institution (e.g., the HMS Quad, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), etc.) has the critical mass of black postdoctoral fellows needed to create a sustained and robust professional network or supportive community.
To help meet these aforementioned challenges, we established the Harvard Medical School Black Postdoctoral Association (HBPA) on March 6, 2020. We intend for this organization to promote a sense of connectedness throughout the HMS black research community, while providing a space for the exchange of information and opportunities that will enhance the social wellbeing, research advancement, and professional development of its members. We have been employing this platform to get to know each other, uplift morale, discuss challenges, and promote professional development.
Meeting the Moment:
Six Strategic Steps to Support Black Postdoctoral Trainees
Point 1: Official recognition of the HBPA by HMS
We invite HMS to join us in formalizing the Harvard Medical School Black Postdoctoral Association (HBPA) as a self-governing HMS-wide group jointly supported by the Office for Diversity, Inclusion, & Community Partnership (DICP) and HMS affiliates, with intersecting partnerships between the postdoctoral and the diversity offices across all 15 affiliate institutions.
Point 2: A permanent membership on the HMS Taskforce for Diversity and Inclusion
To ensure that black postdocs at HMS are fully heard and involved in diversity efforts and programming across campus, we recommend that permanent ambassadorship positions in the Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Partnership (DICP) be reserved for some members of the HBPA; ambassadors would function in the capacity of board of director for DICP program planning purposes.
Point 3: The creation of a HMS-wide postdoctoral database, with disaggregated demographic information (e.g., race, ethnicity)
In response to Theme 4 of the Better Together Plan, we recommend that HMS creates and maintains a strategy for identifying and tracking HMS-affiliated postdoctoral fellows across all HMS-affiliated departments and institutions, and that this database, comprised of disaggregated demographic data (i.e., race, ethnicity, gender, HMS affiliation, research lab), be accessible by groups such as the HBPA, for the sole purpose of recruiting and promoting the professional advancement of these fellows.
Point 4: HMS-sponsored black junior faculty recruitment symposium
We propose the creation of a HMS-sponsored Black Junior Faculty Recruitment Symposium. The symposium would recruit and fund a select number of Black postdoctoral fellows from across the country aspiring to become independent academic researchers.
Point 5: Anti-racism training workshops for HMS-affiliated research faculty.
We propose that all HMS faculty undergo required sensitivity training, racial bias, and anti-racism training.
Point 6: Support of local and national social justice groups fighting against racism and anti-black police violence
We propose that HMS fully support, advocate for, and make a generous donation to the MatchMe Harvard campaign, which is aimed for the Massachusetts Bail Fund, Violence in Boston, Black Lives Matter Boston, and the National Black Justice Coalition.
HBPA BYLAWS
This document lays out the procedures, expectations and responsibilities of the HBPA Governing Board, Committee Chairs and its members.
