March Against Myths (MAMyths) was founded to combat the insidious injustice of pseudoscience myth mongering. While having true information is important, it’s just as important to bring awareness to the way it impacts justice. Our mission was carefully crafted as a framework focused on this goal of the fight against any “mythinformation” that may bubble up to victimize people.
Our latest campaign entitled “DEFEND SCIENCE” is an unapologetic embodiment of our mission. Our defense of science in the name of justice compels us to actively root out myths that threaten the health of our society. There is no clearer injustice fueled by pseudoscientific myths than that of white supremacy. Throughout human history, people have tried to use scientific-sounding arguments to justify unequal or prejudicial treatment of other groups, claiming differences in violent tendencies, intelligence, etc. These arguments are nothing more than pseudoscience and have no basis in fact, and the abuse of science to support “scientific racism” must be resisted by all who value empirical facts.
Recent events in Charlottesville have exposed the ugly white supremacist attitudes that permeate our culture. While it’s more comfortable to blame a handful of individuals, this denies the systemic problem that we in the tradition of activists attempt to change. The truth may be uncomfortable but it must be confronted to make progress toward justice. We at MAMyths have become pretty comfortable with being uncomfortable. We do not shy away from doing the right thing and championing truth for justice.
Racial injustice manifests in many forms, from the overt Nazi and Confederate flag-bearing displays in Charlottesville, to subtle forms of injustice such as when the privileged work to deny access to the fruits of science to those in need in Africa, Asia, and more. People who commit these injustices wrongly attempt to drag science into the discussion with cherry-picked evidence, manipulated statistics, and denials of established facts. Science shows us that we all have equal potential, and are equally capable of succeeding with universal access to education, tools, and social structures. Complacency for racial injustice arises when well-meaning people fail to speak up for what’s right, not only against Confederate flags, but against casual racism around the water cooler or the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Let us take this moment when our country is focusing on the scourge of white supremacy that has reared its ugly head in the most public way in decades, acknowledge that it’s been here all along, and think about what we can all do to make change in our own lives. Brave activists have taken to the streets to confront direct threats and we applaud those efforts to protect the community. But just as important is each and every one of our contributions to stamping out the embers of bigotry and discrimination in and around us, daily. Ending racial injustice is difficult, and the brunt of the work that must be done falls on the shoulders of those with the most privilege. For ideas on how we can do this we suggest starting with: So You Want To Fight White Supremacy.
Our organization recognizes white supremacy and unequivocally denounces it. Racism has no place and we will not tolerate such attitudes from our group organizers, membership, and event participants. The fight for justice requires an inclusive movement of perspectives to inform solutions, just as a robust scientific consensus requires review of many peers. There is a legacy of mistrust fueled by the white supremacy that permeates our culture, including the scientific community. Justice as a priority requires a robust truth informed by rigorous science controlled for implicit human biases that may threaten it.
Signed the MAMyths Founders
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