June 1 marks the start of Black Lives Matter Month, an opportunity for all Americans to stand together against racism and work for equality. Since 1990, jobs in STEM have grown by 79%, but there is still diversity lacking in the field. According to Pew Research Center “Black Americans make up 11% of the U.S. workforce overall but represent 9% of STEM workers.” Through our work at Pink Space Theory, we aim to inspire, train, and transform today’s underrepresented and underserved youth, especially girls, to become the next generation of leaders in STEAM. In observance of Black Lives Matter month, here are some amazing black innovators who changed the world through their STEAM careers.

Dr. Marie M. Daly was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States. She used her degree to become a biochemist. Much of her work contributed to what we know today about high cholesterol and its relation to heart disease. She also became a professor and taught biochemistry courses at Albert Einstein College.

Katherine Johnson worked for NASA as a “human computer” where she would solve difficult math problems. She asked lots of questions and became more involved in other programs. Johnson then joined another task force in NASA where she calculated the path for the Freedom 7, the spacecraft that put the first U.S astronaut in space. She was also a huge part of the mission that successfully planned the first moon landing.

Clementine Hunter was a self-taught African American folk artist from Louisiana. She’s known for her paintings which depicted daily life on the plantations where she lived and worked. She never learned to read or write but began painting on plates and discarded fabric. In 1986, she received an honorary fine arts degree from the Northwestern State University of Louisiana in recognition of her achievements.

Dr. Nola Hylton received a BS in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Physics. She played an essential part in the development of MRI research in the detection, diagnosis, and staging of breast cancer. Hylton is currently a professor in Residence in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, as well as the Director of the Breast Imaging Research Group at the University of California in San Francisco.

Valerie Thomas was interested in STEM starting in elementary school but was never encouraged to pursue science as a young girl. Yet she graduated from Morgan State University with a Physics degree—one of only two women in the major. She worked as an inventor at NASA and oversaw the development of the first satellite program to ever send digital images from space. In 1977, she created the illusion transmitter, which continues to be used by NASA today.

Looking for ways to encourage the current generation to make their mark on the world of STEAM like these amazing women? Check out the articles How to Inspire Girls to Pursue STEM and Getting Your Child Interested in STEM for some inspiring ideas!

Source: Engineeringforkids.com