Black Scientists Ask: “Why Does Science Have A Racism Problem?”

In the June 8, 2023 issue of Cell, a premier life sciences journal, 52 Black scientists grappled with racism in science. Commemorating the three year anniversary of George Floyd and other Black Americans’ deaths — and the federal holiday of Juneteenth, the authors discussed the structures that foster large-scaled systemic racism in science. According to the authors, these structures include: “the United States’ history of slavery and racial oppression; a lack of educational opportunities, mentorship, and representation; and the gatekeeping systems in academia, industry, and scientific organizations.” In raising the discussion, the authors lamented that it took “these murders for us to speak up about a problem we had long known existed.”

According to the authors, “The myth persists that increasing inclusion and diversity comes at the expense of decreasing scientific quality.” However, they added, “centering our science on equity, maximizing its diversity, and making it more inclusive all lead to more accurate and precise science.” With an ear toward what is happening nation-wide around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues, the authors exclaim, “Equity in science is not a political issue; it’s good science.” The authors caution that in order to move equity to the center of scientific research, “we must first recognize and acknowledge whom our scientific and institutional processes harm and how,” noting that acknowledging this harm “is the first step” towards positive change.

The special issue was fueled by the enthusiasm of Antentor O. Hinton, Jr., a faculty member at Vanderbilt University. He reached out to Isabel Goldman, a Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Cell Press and an editor at Cell to explore the idea of a special Juneteenth issue focused on Black scientists as well as a call for equity in the scientific community. Hinton shared, “We aim to reshape the science landscape and dismantle the barriers that have hampered the advancement of underrepresented groups.”

Along with co-senior authors (Kafui Dzirasa, Ishmail Abdus Saboor, Donita Brady, Sandra Murray, Steven Damo, and Sherilynn Black, Hinton “undertook an exhilarating journey, knitting together the profound significance of Juneteenth with the urgent need to amplify the voices of Black scientists.”

According to the National Science Foundation, African Americans make up a mere 2.5% of life scientists. The lack of representation begins in grade school when African Americans are often talked out of pursing science or don’t have access to the types of math and science classes that propel them into the sciences. A 2020 Science article notes that African Americans are underrepresented at all levels — from grade school to high school to college, to graduate school to industry. Identifying and dismantling the structures that keep African Americans out of the sciences and foster systemic racism is essential to engendering equity.

Hinton and his co-authors offer specific recommendations to realize the promise of Juneteenth and revolutionize science, ensuring that African Americans can learn and discover in inclusive environments. These include: changing the culture of science to foster a sense of belonging; implementing mechanisms to protect scientists in the pipeline from stress and mental health struggles; promoting work-life balance, which has long been overlooked by science; and, reducing “White superiority,” which results in personal and environmental micro aggressions.