To the Black members of our community:

We want to acknowledge your pain and exhaustion during this difficult time.

To all members of our community:

We cannot be silent in the face of the trauma being inflicted on the Black community. We affirm that Black lives matter. We will not be silent about racism in our community from the police or from members within the scientific community.

With respect to police brutality:

•We want police accountability to be overseen by a third party.

•We want Kansas City to have local control of its own police department.

•We want to ensure the continued legality of the videotaping police and of making those videos public.

•We want a demilitarization of the police, including a complete stop to the use of teargas.

•We want taxpayer funds to be reallocated from police to social workers and mental health facilities.

•We demand that the police limit the use of excessive force, especially for unarmed people. We demand that the police partake in extensive training on de-escalation techniques and lethal force be used as a last resort or not at all.

We hope that soon science and the broader community will be equitable to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and we commit to working toward that goal.

Joanna Slusky   Jimmy Budiardjo   Jaden Anderson    Gustavo Murillo-Espinoza

Daniel Montezano    Jakki Deay    Rebecca Bernstein   Paul Ikujuni   Ryan Feehan