Title: Beyond Outreach: How To Retain People of Color In Astronomy
In the past, we have tried to remedy the “lack of women and minorities” in our field by encouraging children from marginalized groups to pursue an astronomy career. Yet, little attention is paid to what happens once they arrive in our departments for scientific training. While many of us now recognize the systemic bias toward marginalized groups -- and perhaps even our own implicit bias -- the challenge lies in what to do about it. Over 40 years of “diversity” initiatives have largely benefited white women, while the numbers of black, brown, and indigenous astronomers remain dismally low (<1%). In this talk, I will highlight often overlooked factors that contribute to the overrepresentation of “majority groups” in astronomy, as well as concrete actions to level the playing field.