Abolition Science: Celebrating a Science and Math that Serves All
A labour of love that dismantles the notion of science and math being constructed in a vacuum.
This article follows the events at our inaugural #SCCSymposium, during which we re-examined the goals of science communication, our roles in society as science communicators, and the ways in which we can communicate. We sought to question and critically discuss the ways science communication is done and to integrate non-traditional media and social justice in our practices.
by Shriya Baweja
Graphic by Abbey Morris
Image Description: Illustrated silhouettes of the three workshop facilitators, LaToya Strong, Aderinsola Gilbert, and Matshoshi Matsafu. The Abolition Science logo, consisting of a power fist inside a lightbulb, are accompanied by the text “Abolition Science; Love, Justice, Joy.”
Connected first through Abolition Science Radio, a revolutionary podcast series, scientist-educator LaToya Strong, data science analyst Aderinsola Gilbert, and UX designer Matshoshi Matsafu embarked on a collective mission to explore science and math from an anticolonial stance. Their shared ambition has culminated in the establishment of Abolition Science, an incredible abolitionist project that boasts the vision of “a science and math delinked from racial capitalism, imperialism, and oppression – a science and math that serves all people.”
In January, Strong, Gilbert, and Matsafu presented as speakers at the inaugural SciComm Collective Symposium, where they highlighted how the practice of science has historically developed in conversation, in community, and with people, as opposed to in a social vacuum.
To kick off the virtual event, participants were invited to share their understanding of abolition in a word cloud – a cluster of words submitted to form a visual graphic. Amongst many others, words like “freedom,” “decolonization,” “liberation,” “justice,” and “inclusion” quickly populated the screen as the audience eagerly engaged in the interactive activity.
Strong, Gilbert, and Matsafu then briefly took a moment to introduce themselves as the bright minds behind Abolition Science. Strong discussed her background in public health and infectious diseases, and mentioned that, at present, she is in the field of education. Gilbert went on to introduce themselves as also coming from education with a background in chemistry and mathematics, now pursuing artificial intelligence work in data analytics. Last but not least, Matsafu is a multidisciplinary artist who centres Black experiences through their exploration of the intersection of design and technology.
The main pillars of the Abolition Science project underpinning their philosophy are Theory, Practice, and Praxis.
Theory: What are the grounding frameworks that shape Abolition Science?
The birth of Western science is attributed to the amalgamation of four theories:
Afropessimism, which understands slavery as a relation of property as opposed to forced labour, thereby making the slave a commodity and outside the confines of humanity.
Black geographies, referring to racialised productions of space.
Decolonial thought, which centres the imperialism/colonialism of modernity, resulting in the creation of different “genres” of humans.
Settler colonialism, which alludes to the historical and ongoing structures and systems requiring access to Indigenous land, but not people.
Abolition Science operates on the mission to transform science and math with a vision for liberation by providing accessible educational resources.
Practice: Theory in action! What does Abolition Science look like in practice?
The primary aspiration of Abolition Science is to disrupt and dismantle the systems of exploitation in science against Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC). In efforts to achieve this goal, Strong, Gilbert, and Matsafu launched the podcast series, Abolition Science Radio, on September 4th, 2018. Since then, the podcast has seen colossal success with listeners worldwide from over 40 countries, over 300,000 downloads, 5 seasons, and over 30 episodes! Abolition Science Radio engages with educators, organisers, scientists, and people from all walks of life to have meaningful conversations in enlightening podcast episodes that range from “DNA Technology and Racial Becoming” to “Art, Race and Artificial Intelligence.”
Praxis: Theory + Practice in action! Building community around Abolition Science
For Abolition Science, praxis is the space in which theory and action unite. By offering multiple avenues of engagement, Abolition Science is catering to the accessibility needs and diverse media that can resonate with people and their varied modes of expression. For instance, to encourage their enthusiastic listeners further, Abolition Science has branched out from their podcast and also introduced a Reading Group, in addition to having a Curriculum Development in the pipeline. One of their latest endeavours entails designing workshops in response to the demands of listeners of their podcast who wished to engage more extensively with the topics touched upon. Specifically, the workshops were defined as a space of “collective learning and collective remembering” to commemorate the erasures of contributing voices to current scientific practices.
Reflection Time
Prior to the event concluding, participants were invited to reflect on their evolving understanding of abolition and how that could be extrapolated to different facets of their lives. True to their essence of catering to multiple modes of expression, Abolition Science curated three different breakout room options. Attendees could choose between the Discussion Room, which “Let the talkers talk,” the Free Write Room to “Let the writers write,” and the Art Space to “Let the artists create.” These three virtual environments fostered insightful discussions that seamlessly culminated the event.
Abolition Science challenges the status quo and continues to push the envelope in moving towards decolonising math and science. By amplifying historically neglected voices and narratives, Abolition Science is spurring a paradigm shift in the space of representation in science propelled by dismantling colonial notions of science. You can find their incredible work across social media platforms (@abolition_sci on Twitter and @abolitionscience on Instagram), on Abolition Science Radio – and learn more about them at abolitionscience.org!
Author Bio
Shriya Baweja (she/her)
Shriya Baweja is an aspiring healthcare professional who has recently graduated from McGill University with a Major in Anatomy and Cell Biology. She is a vocal feminist who is passionate about advocating for women’s rights and equality in society. In her efforts to do so, she was an executive member of a female-driven STEM organization, and was also recently published as a role model for women in the 1 Million Women in STEM Campaign. When she’s not learning more about convoluted cellular processes, you can find her busting a move on stage with her Bollywood-fusion dance team.
