WS Chronicle

By Jessica Schnur 

At noon on March 7th, many people across the country gathered to rally in their cities, campuses, and workplaces to stand in solidarity against the recent federal defunding of scientific research and systematic rollbacks in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for both educational and workplace institutions. Of the 32 cities where Stand Up for Science (SUFS)—a grassroots campaign organized by five early-career scientists (Colette Delawalla, Sam Goldstein, Emma Courtney, JP Flores, and Leslie Berntsen)— rallied, Downtown Winston-Salem made its way onto the program’s map.  

Stand Up for Science is a project of the Washington, DC-based non-profit organization, Science for Good.  It has received fiscal sponsorship from the Coalition for the Advancement and Application of Psychological Science (CAAPS), financial support from the Freedom Together Foundation alongside hundreds of individual donors, and received press coverage from Science Magazine, Scientific American, and STAT News. The organization aims to defend science as a public good and as a central pillar of social progress. These rallies, spanning across the nation from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, all serve to protest the Trump administration’s recent implementation of policies that censor the content of research, the mass termination of federal employees across various federal agencies, the drastic cuts in funding for scientific grants, and the dismantling of DEI initiatives in both higher education and federal agencies. The organization aspires to empower scientists across the country to ignite advocacy for the continued advancement and protection of scientific research nationwide.  

Just across the street from Wake Forest’s Downtown campus, students, faculty, and advocates gathered at Bailey Park with handwritten signs and the hope to inspire change. The Stand Up for Science rally was organized by local Wake Forest graduate student Brooke Sanders, who studies neuroscience as a master’s student. “I would like to say that you probably did not hear about this [event] until yesterday because I was not allowed to talk about it,” Sanders said as she addressed the crowd of advocates, “I was told it was too political to send out. Yet, this is a political matter. The fact that our science is being infiltrated by the government has created a political matter. If we ignore it, it’s going to continue to get worse. So that’s why I’m here today.” 

The crowd lined the sidewalks along Patterson Avenue, many stepping forward to share the stories and experiences that inspired them to show their support for the scientific community. “Science is the reason I have a job, and I have three kids that are all autistic, and it’s not because they got a shot; it’s because I’m their dad,” said one local man named Scott, adorning his homemade ‘Kids Should Get Shots, Not Get Shot’ sign. “Science is important. Medicine is important. My wife’s a diabetic, and I have a number of health issues, and apparently, that makes us non-citizens on some level. So yeah, we can do this as often and as loud as we can, so that people start to get the message that this administration is dangerous to people like us.” 

The rally ventured into the streets of Downtown Winston-Salem, stopping briefly before the Kaledium — the city’s beloved science museum — and rounding back to Bailey Park. The chants “Stand Up for Science” rang through the air, and the hope to save the sanctity of science rang true for not only advocates but for the onlookers, as well. “[As] an aspiring chemist, who, after a semester of organic chemistry, [found I might be in the wrong field]. I encourage you in your studies,” said one passerby to the crowd. “I came down here for a summer program because I couldn’t get into medical school after college. Still thought about doing [it]. But, as everybody should have a certain amount of science literacy, it’s important that regardless of what you decide to do, from a career perspective, that you share your literacy and all the good things that science does. So, it’s important, and I encourage you all, particularly those that have a little bit more melanin… and encourage you that are a bit more feminine… And I support you guys that are out here doing the work. Thank you.” 

Among many of the experiences shared via megaphone, Rowan Beck, an employee of a biotechnology company who helps researchers analyze cancer data using cloud computing, presented a list of flagged terms that were no longer permitted to be used within her work. The list included words such as “female,” “diversity,” and “Cancer Moonshot.” 

 “I was looking for like-minded individuals so that we could kind of get together and get organized about what we’re going to do. We need to communicate why science matters in an effective manner to reach people in Winston-Salem,” Beck said in an interview with The Chronicle. “The current regulations are limiting what were allowed to study, how much money we’re allowed to spend — even in approved studies — and how we’re allowed to communicate the results of these studies. So, the implications are going to be huge; not just this year, but for all 

coming years as well. Studies are halted, study sessions are halted, funding is not being sent out. There are tons of programs within the NIH and other universities that are no longer accepting interns, no longer accepting graduate students. So, this is really going to roll back science for many years, I think, we’re going to have to fight to go against what has happened.” 

As the crowd dispersed, the spirit of preserving the institutions of scientific research remained rejuvenated. This rally, among the many that occurred simultaneously across the country, serves to recognize the importance of communing to protect the common good and its means of discovery.  

“Science is the study of life. I mean, it can mean anything to everything,” said Beck. “It could be just looking at how molecules behave up to the larger scale… How it affects people, how different people respond to things is really important. Why do medicines affect women differently than men? This is important to understand. I mean, half the population is women, right? We need to find out what is going on here. So, everything is science. Science is life. Science is diversity. Science is beautiful. And science, [most] importantly, needs to be communicated.”