The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Outreach Group Corner is a regular component of Amstat News in which statisticians write about and educate our community about JEDI-related matters. If you have an idea or article for the column, email the JEDI Corner manager at jedicorner@datascijedi.org.
Eric J. Daza has been a health data scientist for more than 21 years. He created Stats-of-1, a health innovation newsletter/podcast featured in Forbes and Fortune. He is also a diversity, equity, and inclusion leader; Filipino American immigrant; and trained musician.
Folks are more than just one story. … Your goal is to behave inclusively. … Behaving differently is where the real progress happens. — Amber Cabral, Say More About That
Welcome to the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Outreach Group of the American Statistical Association. We are a diverse and inclusive community, a rich collection of powerful stories. Our mission is to advance and support a society that values all people through our work as statisticians and data scientists.
JEDI Outreach Group members pursue the following three objectives:
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Connect. Grow a diverse and inclusive community of statisticians and data scientists that supports and advocates for JEDI best practices.
Educate. Help statisticians and data scientists learn how to think and act inclusively, and how to overcome barriers so they can thrive in fulfilling careers.
Champion. Seek out, challenge, and encourage statisticians and data scientists everywhere to build diverse, respectful, and inclusive communities and environments.
The JEDI Outreach Group was established in 2021 and has already accomplished much! My vision for the group this year includes the following goals, which I encourage all to pursue:
I. Combat urgent crises.
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“Any situation in which some individuals prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence. The means used are not important; to alienate human beings from their own decision-making is to change them into objects.” — Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
AI Failures. Artificial intelligence is changing our society in ways that are rapidly increasing in volume, velocity, and variety. As statistical domain experts, we must continue to speak up in key discussions around AI ethics. We must further expose AI’s harms and publicly challenge AI experts and users to adopt JEDI best practices. We cannot just shove our seats up to the AI table—we must stand on the table and shout!
II. Strengthen how we work together.
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“The cooperation between these two groups has been good. It looks to me that this is the real beginning of a closer relationship between our people.” — Larry Itliong, on organizing the Delano Grape Strike
Measure What Matters Most. We must continue refining how we track the progress of our work. Good organizational performance indicators help us stay accountable. They also provide solid evidence of our societal impact—helping prove the value of the JEDI Outreach Group and other similar efforts to those who doubt.
Coordinate Systematically. We must continue improving how we align, coordinate, and document our work. Good procedures and documentation help us communicate clearly to unblock work tasks and finish on time.
Have Fun! If you connect with even just one other member for the first time, you will have strengthened our community. I encourage you to attend our committee meetings and get to know your fellow members. I will also work to give you other opportunities to socialize.
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