3 BLACK STEM FIGURES YOU MAY HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT
By: FUTURE STEM LEADERS
Tahmina Feyezi
Anandita Hussain
Megan Leon
February 2021 ISSUE No.4
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EDITION
Throughout history, there were many great minds that elevated the field of science and our understanding of the world around us. They are examples that teach us to be great. In honor of Black History Month, Future STEM Leaders finds it prudent to recognize these people of color that strived to improve our society. These people fought for numerous advancements that still affect us today, and it is essential that we recognize their efforts.
Dorothy Lavinia Brown (1919-2004)
Brown made history as the first female surgeon in the Southeastern region of the United States and as the first Black woman to serve in the Tennessee General Assembly. A great feat of her career was getting elected as a legislator for the Tennessee House of Representatives. Throughout her lifetime, she advocated for the civil rights of POC and fought for the abortion rights of women
Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958-)
Neil Degrasse Tyson is an African American astronomer that began to dream about space and stars since he was a young boy. He published several books about his findings and the field of astrophysics and astronomy. He was the host of multiple shows like the continuation of Carl Sagan’s “Cosmo” from the 1980s. His contribution to the science field is truly inspiring to young people of color because it gives children the inspiration to reach for the stars.
Ashanti Johnson
She is the first female African American chemical oceanographer as well as the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in oceanography from A&M University in Texas. She is currently an associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Texas in Arlington. She researches previous effects on marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments in the Arctic and Coastal regions by using multiple biogeochemical indicators. She continues to empower adolescent women and people in minority communities in navigating the field of STEM.
The field of STEM is an extremely diverse field that surrounds us with new possibilities. The community should be just as diverse as the field itself. Day by day, the representation of people of color continues to increase because of those who decide to choose greatness. Ashanti Johnson, Neil Degrasse Tyson, and Dorothy Lavinia Brown are extraordinary heroes that empower their minority communities to think outside of the status quo. Their accomplishments have been immortalized in history and continue to show us that everyone has the capabilities of finding power in STEM.
Photo Credits:
1st photo- Wikipedia. February 24, 202.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Lavinia_Brown
2nd photo- Rights to image belong to W. W. Norton Co.
3rd photo- @DrAshantiJ (Twitter).
Sources:
Gregersen, Erik. "Neil deGrasse Tyson". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Oct. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson. Accessed 26 February 2021.)
