NACIS Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter
NACIS 2020 would have taken place in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed, this October had COVID-19 not necessitated a change to a virtual meeting. One of the great pleasures of taking our meetings to different cities is to experience diverse places and support local businesses. In lieu of our physical presence this year, NACIS will be making donations to MEDA and We Love Lake Street to support local and minority-owned businesses impacted by recent events.
NACIS stands in solidarity with the black community and all those who are affected by racially-motivated violence. The brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and many others highlight the pervasive and systemic racism that many of us have been too willing to overlook. We support those who are protesting against police brutality and other systems of inequality.
While NACIS strives to be inclusive and welcoming, we are charged with looking inward to identify and construct new pathways for our organization to better welcome, support, and amplify the voices of minoritized people and communities. We are committed to broadening opportunities and inclusivity for underrepresented and historically marginalized groups within the society. Additionally, we are committed to nurturing and promoting diversity and inclusion throughout the cartographic field.
We acknowledge that maps can be a tool of power and therefore are committed to promoting the responsible use of maps. We recognize the importance of maps and our responsibility as mapmakers as we confront critical challenges of our time. We think it’s important that this year’s annual meeting features conversations about these issues. To that end, we strongly encourage the submission of presentations which focus on the role of cartography in both building and dismantling structures of power and oppression.
NACIS Organizational Statement on Diversity and Inclusion