Well, it’s official. I have been fired by NASA.
“Dear Dr. Rosalind Cohen,
We write to you today with heavy hearts to let you know that under the new Executive Order: Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, NASA has been tasked with ending all work and programs affiliated with diversity, equity, and inclusion. Current and future proposal calls will no longer have an Inclusion Plan requirement, and the contract role I’ve played in building and maintaining this incredible group of individuals and studying our inclusion efforts has ended.
Rest assured that your contributions have helped the astronomical community to become more aware of the intricacies, benefits, and strategies of developing a healthy, safe, and inclusive research working environment. For that, the NASA Astrophysics team will be forever grateful to you.”
I am not surprised, but I am angry at how we have gotten here.
For those of us doing this work, we will continue to push for and support the change we know is needed to create a more inclusive and connected society. We may be doing it differently, but know it is still being done. It is a worthwhile fight, and as the Jewish value of “tikkun olam” states, it is our job to repair the world through small and large actions.
And to reiterate what Erin-Kate Escobar M.Ed, Dr. David Morris, Dr. Antonino Cucchiara, and Dr. Kartik Sheth said in their email to me, I say the same to you:
I hope you take good care, and wish you strength and care as we navigate our future endeavors
NASA fightthegoodfight
RadicalConnections
CrucialConnections