ARCHAEOLOGY IS FOR EVERYONE: A GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO NORMALIZE A CHANGE IN ARCHAEOLOGY'S COMPLEXION

Dana L Cota; California Department of Transportation; dana.cota@dot.ca.gov;

Though the United States of America prides itself on justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion, the fact remains that many facets of our society are as divided as they have always been. Instances of ableism, ageism, sexism, and gender identity discrimination continue to make the headlines…and hardly a day goes by without a newscast about an unlawful act of ethnic discrimination. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Statista.com, and Zappia.com, in 2021, the U.S. had a combined total of over 1,133,800 African American physicians, civil engineers, attorneys, police officers, registered nurses, and teachers. However, one field continues to lag behind others. The total number of archaeologists in the U.S. of African American descent, according to Zappia.com and other sources, for the last few years has hovered at less than 800. Qualified applicants are not being turned away. Instead, there appears to be a “vision problem” where African American boys and girls cannot and do not envision archaeology as a viable or interesting career option. Introducing archaeology to college-bound students of color would be insightful and rewarding. The overarching goal of this grassroots effort is the realization of greater diversity in the archaeology field.

 

JEDI Session (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)  Zoom Presentation