Quantum Loop
The why:
Many forces can present barriers, from systemic practices like bigotry, prejudice, racism, and unconscious bias, limiting access to diverse voices and perspectives. Pillars of Change wants to tackles these issues head-on, working to bring together the right people to create programs that promote understanding and equity in all aspects of our lives. By empowering everyone in our communities to participate, we can build a more just and inclusive society.
The key to a better future for all lies in closing the gaps between communities. We believe that by partnering with historically underserved communities, humanity can unlock the power of purpose. Cocreation empowers community members, to transform communities, our nation, and the world.
We envision a future where higher education is inclusive and accessible to all. We aim to bridge existing gaps through sponsorship. Providing underserved community members with equitable access to address systemic barriers.
There's Plenty of Potential at the Bottom*
Society continually underestimates underserved communities.
Underestimating others is a frame of thinking arising from social strata, cultural differences, and economic gaps, undergirded by warped power dynamics. In turn, many people will immediately dismiss individuals and entire communities based on dominant stereotypes. These standards haven't genuinely tried to consider, see, hear, or understand others as people first. It's a destructive bias rooted in a narrow view of value, seeing people solely based on race, culture, and so on. Ultimately, we are stunting our collective societal success by following dominant cultural practices that fail to "see" historically underserved communities.
This inability or unwillingness to "see" our diverse and vibrant communities is not based on any sound evidence. Instead, it's an argument fueled by the systemic failure to achieve equitable inclusion. The pattern is clear: We systematically under-invest in these communities by providing inadequate educational and economic resources. This is further compounded by a pervasive system of "otherness" that guarantees failure. Then, we use the resulting lack of achievement as justification for continued underinvestment. Essentially, our current practices and procedures perpetuate a cycle of underachievement, callously relegating entire segments of the human family to the margins of society. Yet, despite this history and ongoing reality, we remain extremely hopeful.
Why? We know that when our communities have adequate access to resources and opportunities, they excel and thrive. As a nation, by intentionally limiting ourselves to narrow perspectives on the potential of our diverse communities, we create a deficit in our collective humanity. The path to a better world lies in embracing inclusion. The answers to unlocking new discoveries, ideas, creativity, and innovation are literally staring us in the face. Yet, many leaders persist in searching far and wide for talent, while ignoring the rich pool of potential right here at home.
Unfortunately, the quantum science community is no different. Current efforts lean heavily towards profiles based on a dominant culture's narrow value system. This elitist approach overlooks local communities, ignoring their potential and possibilities. Global partnerships are great and always encouraged, but bypassing local communities exposes biases, discrimination, and a narrow mindset rooted in arrogance. Historically underserved, underrepresented, marginalized, and low-income community members possess a wealth of potential, experiences, ideas, and perspectives that could significantly amplify the success of the quantum community.
By developing widespread access through local programs, initiatives, and pathways, we can significantly boost our understanding of quantum sciences, including quantum theory, physics, mechanics, computing, algorithms, computer science, Ai, mathematics, and data analytics. But achieving this requires thoughtful inclusion and partnerships. We need to invest in programs geared towards historically underserved communities, not with a charity-based approach, but with genuine partnerships built on shared power, decision making, and access. These partnerships will ensure that these communities can substantively inform and contribute throughout the development process.
Our communities have often been viewed from an academic standpoint as disadvantaged. But we believe, with a twist on Richard P. Feynman's famous quote, that there's “Plenty of Potential at the Bottom". Our potential can truly flourish when we reimagine what's possible. Just as Feynman implored scientists to collaborate across disciplines, we call on the world to see the immense potential, talent, and room for growth within the very communities we often overlook, underestimate, under-resource, and exclude from exploring the frontiers of science. While we may be positioned at the bottom of the current societal structure, we assert that there's radical potential waiting to be unleashed!
Michio Kaku, in his book Quantum Supremacy, discusses how quantum computing could revolutionize many fields. We agree: the future hinges on harnessing this technology. Yet, a valuable resource continues to be overlooked: the untapped potential of underserved communities. As Chicagoland builds partnerships and programs for a Quantum Hub, our community members are excluded from the conversation entirely, left on the sidelines. In a world where global competition is heating up, our nation enters the arena with its hands tied behind its back – a wealth of potential left untapped.
Join us in changing the exclusionary narrative and trajectory.
* Reference twist on Richard P. Feynman “Plenty of Room at the Bottom” (De. 1959).