MAA’s Promise to You

By Michael Pearson

Michael Pearson

At the heart of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) are two things: mathematics and people. Our mission, vision, and values reflect those two priorities. Mathematics is created by humans (or discovered, if you prefer a Neoplatonist conception of the world). It is created for humans as well. And as has been discussed in this and many other forums, the fruits of mathematics have served some of us better than others.

The fact of the matter is that the world around us is inequitable in its design. Many students from underserved groups are left behind by our current educational systems, only to find an even more inhospitable society waiting for them. While these systems have become normalized over centuries, silence from our mathematical community is nothing short of complicity in injustice. We cannot ignore those who suffer from our unfair systems as nameless faces, for they are our colleagues and our friends.

We at MAA reaffirm our commitment to working toward systemic change and justice. Every day, we commit ourselves to creating a more equitable and accessible mathematics community, but we have much to learn and a long way to go. We deeply value and appreciate members of our community who have taken the time and effort to share their stories and help us shape MAA into a community we can all be proud of. We also value the leadership shown by our partner organizations.

The work to become a community of mathematicians will never be done, but we are committed to this ongoing journey with you. Acknowledging that the world around us is inequitable and unjust, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable, is a foundational first step to doing this work.

I acknowledge that there are many different conceptions of what a just world would be. These differences reflect the varied experiences we’ve had, and the differing values we hold as a result. Our journey requires that we listen to understand the experiences of others; that we accept the legitimacy of views that we may find challenging; that we accept that our own views of the world were and continue to be shaped through our interactions with an unjust world; and that we stand willing to give up what may be long-standing beliefs about economic, political, and social structures. And perhaps most importantly for us, to recognize that our profession will change over time, just as it has in the past, but that we have the ability to influence that evolution in ways that improve the outcomes for all.

In that spirit, I hope that you’ll look to continue to hear about mathematics, and mathematical experiences, from across our community. Together, we can build a better, and more inclusive, future for our discipline.

Michael Pearson has served as the Executive Director for the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) since 2012. Prior to joining the staff at MAA in 2002, he served on the faculty at Florida International University (1989-1992) and Mississippi State University (1992-2002).