Academia would present itself as a merit-based community for the exchange of diverse, new, and evolving ideas. Unfortunately, academia is not immune to the systemic obstacles and personal biases that pervade society at large. Inequities, from recruitment to retention, distort how academia reflects the communities that surround it and underrepresents marginalized groups (i.e., historically or presently oppressed, exploited, and disadvantaged). Ethically, the imperative to reduce these harms is self-evident. However, 'practically' there are many benefits to building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive academic system. Science is a communal effort that thrives on the generation of new ideas and integration of multiple perspectives. We need diverse viewpoints and voices. For example, research groups and departments that mirror the backgrounds of the students they work with can best prepare the next generation of scientists to continue on. On an individual basis, a baseline we can all work from is to (_i_) be open to learning and updating our personal perspectives, (_ii_) fostering inclusive environments, and (_iii_) engaging with EDI as formal aspect of an academic role.
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