The Scholars program has provided financing for around 3,500 students to support their studies in scientific areas. With these lawsuits: “There are students who are currently registered, students who are registered, who see themselves are attacked,” said Matt Hartings, a chemical teacher chemistry at American University.
The potential loss of these programs, added Harpalani, could have an adverse effect on scientific research: if under -represented scientists no longer have the means to continue in their career, the field can lose important role models and new ways of thinking. Mindiola shared a similar sentiment. “I think science is progressing to have a different perspective because you come from a different background,” he said.
Harpalani also pointed out that doctors of color more often offer medical services in disadvantaged areas. And what recent research has suggested that racial concordance, where a patient and a doctor are the same race and the driving force behind the Black Doctors Directory, patients helps to get better care and to have more confidence in the health care system. Other research has shown that, however, the evidence for this is more mixed and the lawsuit that does not damage against the University of Pennsylvania describes the idea of racial agreement as “thoroughly invalidated”.
The American Chemical Society is already changing from language with regard to diversity and processes a head on its website of “the core value of ACS of diversity, fairness and respect” to “promote the core value of ACS of inclusion and connectedness.” The recent round of requests for the Scholars program has just been closed on March 1, although it will remain unclear whether the program will continue. Mindiola said he is normally asked to be in the selection committee for high school and university applicants, but did not receive any research this year. The ACS did not respond to a request for comment because they 'do not comment on active lawsuits'.
Morenoff, at the Manhattan Institute, thinks that Do No Harm's lawsuit has a good chance of success: “I would bet quite strongly that if this is fought, there will be no damage.”
But Hartings suggested that, not even in a court victory, the mere threat of lawsuits will probably encourage many organizations to cancel or scale their diversity programming, “even that is a victory for them,” he said.
This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.
