Carlos Guarnizo along with several other scientists created Ciencia Café, pa’ Sumercé, which is a space where citizens can access first-hand (directly from researchers) excellent research in science and technology that Colombians are doing inside and outside the country. At the same time, this space offers scientists and researchers the opportunity to meet citizens and understand the concerns and interests of the public; all of this through respectful dialogue, promoting an appreciation for science and technology by encouraging everyone to participate.

Two weeks ago, I was invited to one of the interviews from Ciencia Café, pa’ Sumercé, in which I talk about two different things that are not necessarily exclusive: science and racism. During the interview, Carlos asked me about why I decided to study biology and lizards, especially, he was interested in knowing how I ended up doing a Ph.D. with Jonathan Losos. After I talked about that part of my professional life, Carlos asked me about the BLM movement and its consequences in Colombia. I told him that despite the miles apart that Colombia is from the USA, we – the black community – suffer from the same kind of discrimination (punctual and systemic racism) in our daily bases, and I also told him that it is important to talk about racism in our families and in our work areas. At the end of the interview, I told a short story about how the Anolis chloris photo I took in 2016 ended up as the cover image in Evolution in 2019.

Jhan Salazar
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