Introducing BEE: Economists for Equity at BERKELEY

​''If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.''
     - Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s

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The events over March to June 2020 have made it abundantly clear that we, the student-led organization formerly Women in Economics at Berkeley, are overdue in expanding our group’s mission to include advocacy and support for all marginalized and underrepresented groups in economics.

Starting now, our organization will take an explicit and clear stance in supporting all individuals who identify as part of any structurally under-resourced or under-represented group. To do this, we will need to not only provide loving support but will also need to transform the economics profession to eradicate deep seeds of racism, sexism, homophobia, and cis-sexism that shape our research, teaching, and policy engagement.

With this change, we will update our mission statement and the name of the organization to Berkeley Economists for Equity (BEE).

We know that we cannot do this alone. It will take community and solidarity across a number of students and institutions to enact change. Everyone must join in this effort - we welcome all who want to work, learn, and grow. In particular, we welcome those who can and will challenge us to be better, to show us how we ourselves are contributing to the perpetuation of injustice. We all have much to learn and are committed to evolving as we identify new ways in which we can move economics towards a more equitable and inclusive environment. Establishing equity is not only the right thing to do, but is absolutely necessary for making the research, pedagogy, and policy that we produce more impactful for creating a brighter world.