Massachusetts Vol. XXXII No. 5 Institute of May/June 2020 Technology MITFaculty http://web.mit.edu/fnl Newsletter in this issue we offer extensive responses to the killing of George Floyd, beginning with the Editorial and “Heartsick. Anguished. Enraged.” (below) and continuing through page 15; Faculty Chair Rick Danheiser’s “ ‘May You Live in Interesting Times’: The Year in Review” (page 22); and “On the Risks and Benefits of New International Engagements,” (page 24). See the new Aron Bernstein Memorial Page or visit our website. George Floyd Memorial, Minneapolis Interview with Heartsick. Editorial Ragon Institute Anguished. I. Challenging Systemic Racism at MIT Director Dr. Bruce Enraged. II. Greetings to our Graduates Walker in the Year of the Pandemic Helen Elaine Lee THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW by HERE WE GO AGAIN with the grief Challenging Systemic Racism at MIT Faculty Newsletter Editorial Board Chair and outrage of being black in America. FOLLOWING THE KILLING OF Jonathan Alan King (JAK) with Dr. Bruce This time, we’re trying to survive two George Floyd by a white policeman on Walker (BW) was held on May 18, 2020. pandemics. With Covid, our communi- May 25, protests erupted across the ties are suffering disproportionate sick- nation against the grotesque wrongs of JAK: You’re part of the Ragon Institute and ness and death borne of longstanding anti-black racism and its long, tenacious the Institute for Medical Engineering and inequality, and enduring exploitation as hold on the American social structure. In Science [IMES] as well as the “essential” workers with no choice but to this hopeful moment fraught with possi- Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen show up and risk exposure to do the work bilities, it is only right that MIT aims for Readiness. What’s the relationship among that keeps the socioeconomic engine greater self-reflection. However, self- them and your role within them? going, without fair compensation, health reflection is not enough. Deliberate and insurance, or even basic resources to sustained action is required, not some BW: I’m the director of the Ragon prevent the spread of the virus. And the day, not tomorrow, but now. Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, pandemic of racism and violence directed MIT’s long history of inaction on the which is my primary role. The Institute at black people rages on. issue of racism is well documented. There was established 10 years ago with the Whiteness continues to be is a pattern. mission of harnessing the immune weaponized and black lives continue to system to prevent and cure human be criminalized. Endlessly, everywhere, • An incident motivates an educational disease. We have focused on specific we are surveilled and policed. On a whim campaign directed at the MIT commu- goals, the initial goal being to develop an or with a casual flexing of the muscle of nity, or a study and report, including rec- HIV vaccine, and that work is underway white privilege, we are removed from ommendations for change. This takes continued on page 16 continued on page 5 continued on page 3 contents The MIT Faculty Vol. XXXII No. 5 May/June 2020 Newsletter Editorial Board 01 Interview with Ragon Institute Director Robert Berwick (Vice-Chair) Dr. Bruce Walker Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Manduhai Buyandelger 01 Heartsick. Anguished. Enraged. Anthropology Helen Elaine Lee Nazli Choucri 01 Political Science Editorial I. Challenging Systemic Racism at MIT Christopher Cummins II. Greetings to our Graduates Chemistry in the Year of the Pandemic *Sally Haslanger 05 Words + Words + Words Linguistics and Philosophy Sandy Alexandre *Jonathan A. King (Chair) Biology 06 The Case Against “#BlackLivesMatter?” *Helen Elaine Lee J. C. Woodard Comparative Media Studies/Writing Ceasar McDowell (Secretary) 08 Voices from the MIT Community Vigil Urban Studies and Planning Kendyll Hicks, Ramona Allen, Malick Ghachem, Corban Swain Fred Moavenzadeh Civil & Environmental Engineering/Engineering Systems 11 A Faculty Testimonial Jonathan A. King Ruth Perry Literature Section 12 *Nasser Rabbat CMS/W and Racial Justice: A Path Forward Architecture 14 Literature’s Statement of Solidarity Balakrishnan Rajagopal Urban Studies and Planning 14 Statement from MIT Anthropology Robert Redwine Physics 15 Statement from the Graduate Student Council (GSC) *Warren Seering Mechanical Engineering 19 Ramping Up On-Campus Research at MIT Maria T. Zuber and Tyler E. Jacks David Lewis Managing Editor From The 22 “May You Live in Interesting Times”: Faculty Chair The Year in Review *Editorial Subcommittee for this issue Rick L. Danheiser 24 On the Risks and Benefits of New International Engagements Richard Lester 29 Anonymity, Liquidity, and Mobility: A Quandary Kenneth R. Manning and Lisa Parks Photo Credit: Page1: Lorie Shaull, Wikimedia Commons. Address MIT Faculty Newsletter Bldg. 10-335 Cambridge, MA 02139 Website http://web.mit.edu/fnl Telephone 617-253-7303 Fax 617-253-0458 E-mail [email protected] Subscriptions $15/year on campus $25/year off campus 2 MIT Faculty Newsletter May/June 2020 Challenging Systemic Racism at MIT Nobody is more dangerous than he who In any society or organization, it is not continued from page 1 imagines himself pure in heart; for his possible to meet everyone’s needs or dis- purity, by definition, is unassailable. tribute burdens equally. In unjust institu- significant time and energy by faculty and – James Baldwin, Nobody Knows My Name tions, the problem is not that some groups students of color. For example: lose out, are outvoted, or suffer substantial Intuitively Obvious 1996: Video, Website Recommendations for change fall into costs; this happens even in just democra- A More Inclusive MIT 2015: Video, three categories: transparency, structural cies. Rather, an unjust system is set up so Website, student article evaluating change, and accountability. Demands for that the pattern of redistribution of costs progress in The Tech, June 2, 2020. transparency and accountability are and benefits over time is skewed: one The Hammond Report 2010: Executive familiar enough, especially given chal- group makes the sacrifice, another group Report and Recommendations lenges to the Administration’s (in)actions gets the benefits, over and over and over. over the past year. We will return to them In the United States, benefits have system- • This is usually followed by a letter, or in our recommendations. But let us first atically gone to White folks. It is time now a vigil, or a breakfast. take a moment to clarify the demand for for those who have benefited to recognize structural change. the injustice and accept the price of its • No further action is taken. Structural change requires modifica- fixing. tions to the organization of an institu- This pattern is itself a performance of tion, that is, transformation of the rules For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s systematic injustice and is insulting both and policies affecting the distribution of chains, but to live in a way that respects to those who have been wronged and power and finances, of credibility and and enhances the freedom of others. those who have devoted their efforts to authority; such structural change is – Nelson Mandela bring about change. It is an embarrass- needed in order to make the Institute ment to the Institute. more inclusive, more representative of We cannot hope to solve the problems No wonder that we, along with the the institution’s constituency, and more of racism at MIT (or in the wide world) by Black members of the MIT community consistent with its stated mission. Of acting on a few recommendations, but we and their supporters, are outraged. Their course, it is important to hire Black can better position ourselves to solve the frustration is palpable. For some of their faculty and staff and admit Black stu- problems. and other reflections see the special dents. But we cannot simply rely on the section in this issue beginning with Helen good will of a few individuals to make 1. The Faculty should establish a Elaine Lee’s “Heartsick. Anguished. this happen, and history teaches us that Standing Committee on Race. This com- Enraged.” on page one and continuing we cannot trust that those who join the mittee needs to be nominated and elected consecutively. Included are “Voices from MIT community through such efforts by the faculty-at-large. the MIT Community Vigil,” page 8, and will be welcomed as full members. 2. Working with the Standing Faculty some MIT departmental responses. We Moreover, appointing individuals, even Committee on Race, the Institute Office of also recommend visiting the Support Black individuals, to do the work of Research will develop a Racial Impact Black Lives at MIT website. “equity” can – in spite of their hard work Assessment that must be completed by all It is important to recognize that MIT’s – end up being no more than window- proposed research projects. history is part of a larger systemic web of dressing in combating racism, without 3. Funding for research that might be racial injustice that pervades the academy. real effect on the broken system. used for increased citizen surveillance, And although it should not take a mass These individuals are effectively dis- predictive policing, smart prisons, bail public outcry for people to educate them- empowered within the structure and their determination, and other efforts to selves about the inequities that have been efforts are compromised. Obviously, control the Black population and activists happening around them all along, it is changing the culture of MIT would be supporting anti-racism, should be sub- illuminating to read the posts made under helpful, but a few more implicit bias jected to heightened scrutiny. #BlackintheIvory. On this platform, Black workshops will not change culture; sub- 4. The Institute should take concrete people are raising their voices about the stantial structural changes, incentives for steps to achieve the objectives outlined in racism they have experienced and con- adhering to them, and strict accountabil- the BGSA petition: (i) to develop a 3-year tinue to deal with in academia.