Sisters in Science

Diann Jordan

Description

Author Diann Jordan took a journey to find out what inspired and daunted black women in their desire to become scientists in America. Letting 18 prominent black women scientists talk for themselves, Sisters in Science becomes an oral history stretching across decades and disciplines and desires. From Yvonne Clark, the first black woman to be awarded a B.S. in mechanical engineering to Georgia Dunston, a microbiologist who is researching the genetic code for her race, to Shirley Jackson, whose aspiration led to the presidency of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jordan has created a significant record of women who persevered to become firsts in many of their fields. It all began for Jordan when she was asked to give a presentation on black women scientists. She found little information and little help. After almost nine years of work, the stories of black women scientists can finally be told.
Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Timeline: Black Women in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering

Tables

Hattie Carwell: Civil Rights for All

Yvonne Young Clark: Still Going Strong

Anna J. Coble: To the Beat of Her Own Drum

Freddie M. Dixon: One of Our Own

Elvira Doman: A Class Act

Georgia Dunston: It’s in My Genes

Evelyn Boyd Granville: Destined to Greater Heights

Shirley Ann Jackson: The Sky Is the Limit

Lynda M. Jordan: An Unlikely Scientist

Shelia McClure: A Woman’s Place

Etheleen McGinnis-Hill: It’s a Good Thing

Jennie R. Patrick: Rebel with a Cause

Jann Patrice Primus: Her Voice Lives On

Dolores Cooper Shockley: It’s a Family Affair

Rubye Torrey: Just Call Me a Scientist

Geraldine W. Twitty: Still on the Battlefield

LaVern Whisenton-Davidson: A Passion for Mosquito Research

Epilogue: Continuing to Tell the Story

References and Recommended Reading

Sujets

• HISTORY
• Histoire
• Women
• Woman
• History of science
• The Women

Informations

• Publié par: Purdue University Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781612498898
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

S ISTERS IN S CIENCE
S ISTERS IN S CIENCE
Conversations with Black Women Scientists about Race, Gender, and Their Passion for Science
D IANN J ORDAN
Purdue University Press
West Lafayette, Indiana
Copyright 2006 by Purdue University. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
First paperback printing 2007
ISBN 978-1-55753-445-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sisters in science : conversations with black women scientists on race, gender, and their passion for science / [interviews by] Diann Jordan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-55753-386-9 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-55753-386-5 (alk. paper)
1. African American women scientists--Biography.
2. Scientists, Black--Biography.
3. Women scientists--Biography.
I. Jordan, Diann, 1958-
Q141.S556 2006
508.2 0973--dc22
2005038027
I N LOVING MEMORY OF my aunt and second mom, Mrs. Mary Frances Grooms Pratt; without her I would not be the woman that I am today. I will never forget how you influenced my life. Rest in Peace .
A ND TO THE MEMORY OF Dr. Jann Patrice Primus, a daughter of America. May her legacy and spirit transcend all racial and gender barriers in science.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Timeline: Black Women in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering
Tables
Hattie Carwell: Civil Rights for All
Yvonne Young Clark: Still Going Strong
Anna J. Coble: To the Beat of Her Own Drum
Freddie M. Dixon: One of Our Own
Elvira Doman: A Class Act
Georgia Dunston: It s in My Genes
Evelyn Boyd Granville: Destined to Greater Heights
Shirley Ann Jackson: The Sky Is the Limit
Lynda M. Jordan: An Unlikely Scientist
Shelia McClure: A Woman s Place
Etheleen McGinnis-Hill: It s a Good Thing
Jennie R. Patrick: Rebel with a Cause
Jann Patrice Primus: Her Voice Lives On
Dolores Cooper Shockley: It s a Family Affair
Rubye Torrey: Just Call Me a Scientist
Geraldine W. Twitty: Still on the Battlefield
LaVern Whisenton-Davidson: A Passion for Mosquito Research
Epilogue: Continuing to Tell the Story
References and Recommended Reading
Preface
In her book Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments from My Life , Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first black woman astronaut, relates a very revealing childhood experience that epitomizes the early challenge many potential young black female scientists face when selecting science as a career. When a teacher posed the question what she would like to be when she grew up Mae replied, I want to be a scientist. Her teacher tried to convince her that what she meant was a nurse. Jemison, though only a child, was undaunted and persisted in stating that she wanted to be a scientist. In the 1960s, that was a pretty bold stance for a little black girl to not be persuaded by an authority figure. There are many potential Mae Jemisons in the world, but many of their dreams are actually never realized. How many goals are not met because some teacher, parent, or peer may have innocently dissuaded them? How many girls or young minorities become convinced that somehow they are not capable of doing math or science? Unfortunately, one of the earliest hurdles that females and minorities often face is similar to Jemison s story and that of other women scientists.
Research continues to show that girls are eager to study math and science, but around middle school girls tend to give up their science. For black girls, the dilemma of choosing a science career is compounded by issues of race as well as gender. While it is true that young black women actually go to college more often and earn more degrees than their black male counterparts, their numbers are a small percentage at the graduate level in some science and technology fields. A study by James Jay (1971) on black doctorates in America from 1876 to 1969 documents that only 58 of 650 doctorates were awarded to black women. Recent studies by the National Science Foundation (NSF) do not show a great deal of improvement for black women at the doctoral level in science, especially for those in mathematics and engineering (Jordan, 1997). For example, in 1995, 15 black females, 58 black males, 320 white females, and 1,766 white males received doctorates in engineering across the United States. Despite these dismal statistics, some black women, like Jemison, persevere to become highly successful scientists and engineers. The question then remains, Why do so few black women enter scientific careers, and for those who do, what can they teach us about how black women survive and succeed in science?
A number of significant factors contribute to black women s success in science. Lynda Jordan, a biochemist, has candidly discussed how race and gender have impacted her career as a student in a predominantly white institution as well as professionally in a historically black institution. While there is no denying that race and gender may affect success in science, they are not the only factors that contribute to black women s success and achievement. Familial support in childhood and adulthood can have a profound effect on black females entering and staying in science for the long haul. One need only look at the Mae Jemison story to see the power of a loving and nurturing family. A supportive spouse or a strong support system can also play a vital role in long-term success. Some of the women interviewed here are very candid about their marriages and how family life affected their career goals. For example, Freddie Dixon talks about how important it was to have a husband who did not mind cooking and taking care of their young child while she was in graduate school. Equally important but not always discussed, class can have a profound effect on the black female s desire to study science and the available opportunities to pursue it as a career. The late Jann Primus openly discusses how being from a privileged background influenced how she was viewed and treated as a scientist.
For too long the lives of black women scientists have been virtually invisible and often neglected in the larger American society and even in their own culture. My goal has been to let the black woman scientist speak for herself and tell her story in her own way. This goal, along with my lack of experience as an interviewer, may have influenced the flow and content of the interviews. I began this project over nine years ago with the intention of discussing three major areas of interest with the women. As I began to get to know them and discuss issues, more questions would arise, so that the later interviews may appear more detailed. Because I was a full-time practicing research scientist, my time spent on this project was limited to my spare and vacation time. Therefore, some of the interviews have greater content while others lack some needed discussion. Of course, this is also due in part to the interviewee s own comfort level in discussing matters of race, gender, and family life. Some of them were very forthcoming, while others preferred to not comment on specific issues related to race, gender, or family life. There were others who commented but were not comfortable allowing those comments to be published. A few times, I, as an unknown interviewer, may have been viewed with some suspicion, too. After all, little research has been done on this area of black women s lives. Far too often, the image of the black woman is not positive in print. Therefore, I, too, had to gain the trust of some of the women, even though I am black and tried to make clear my intention to present the black woman scientist in a positive light. Despite these inherent problems in the interviewing process, the writing of Sisters in Science has been one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life. The women who are presented here have wholeheartedly supported me and, in a few cases, allowed me to re-interview them to get the best story possible.
After a long, tiring day of doing research in the laboratory and the field, dealing with sometimes difficult colleagues, and engaging in a disproportionate share of university and community service, I still would come home and work on this project. I even used my holidays to gather and collect data on this group. I spent a great deal of time establishing a relationship with many of the women scientists. In fact, I loved doing the interviews. They made my own journey as a scientist much more bearable because I didn t feel alone as I talked with these women, my sisters in science. Consequently, when I sent the interviews back to the scientist, I had high expectations. Some of those expectations were disappointed when it sometimes took months to receive a response-and some never responded. I understood that these women, too, were inundated with all kinds of responsibilities in their everyday lives as scientists, but I wondered how I could tell their stories without their input. As I matured in the process, I learned to accept that a 50 percent return rate was better than no rate at all. I also had to accept my role as a full-time scientist and educator and that my limited time was a factor in doing the project the way that I may have desired. In a few cases, I simply did not return the transcribed interviews in a timely manner, which may have affected my response rate. Moreover, there were other outstanding black women scientists that I wanted to interview, but time simply did not permit me to do so. In any event, the process of doing research on the lives of black women scientists has been a labor of love that has opened me up to a different writing and critical thinking process as a scientist and the beginnings of an untold, fascinating history of American women.
When I was asked to do a presentation on black women scientists as a part of the Black Culture Center Week at the University of Missouri, Collumbia, I thought, Sure, that shouldn t be a problem. I ll just go to the library and get some key refer