@WeRepSTEM

Indie news site that believes everyone belongs in science. We talk DEI & show ♥️ to historically excluded ppl. in #STEM 🏳️‍🌈👩🏽‍🚀👨🏾‍🏭👩🏿‍💻👩‍🔬👨🏽‍🏫♿

werepstem.com
Joined June 2019
  • Tweets3.8K
  • Following2.3K
  • Followers4.7K
Read Nicole’s story - both as a young girl & as a Black woman in STEM - and learn how you can help end hair discrimination. (#500womensci #crownact #Blackwomen #BlackwomeninSTEMM #BlackInSTEM) bit.ly/3di3QAs
3
7
The study also found that 80% of African American women felt the need to straighten their hair in order to assimilate at work. This hair discrimination also applies to STEM fields, which continue to have lower numbers of women of color. More: bit.ly/3di3QAs
1
4
6
Black women are often told straight hair is beautiful, & textured, natural, or curly hair is unprofessional. A 2019 study found that Black women suffer the most from hair discrimination in the US, & were 1.5x more likely to be sent home from work. MORE: prn.to/3Dl1jjE
1
3
14
Read Nicole’s story - both as a young girl and as a Black woman in STEMM - and learn how you can help end hair discrimination. Nicole's piece includes links to additional resources illustrating the connection between hair and identity in BIPOC culture.
2
6
"The best feeling in the world is not caring about what anyone thinks. I wake up and uncoil my twists, spritz some water on them, & tie a colorful wrap on my head to match my outfit. But I didn’t always feel this way."
1
1
2
"When my children were younger, I wanted a book about Black role models to inspire them. I knew this information was out there, but I couldn’t find anything in an organized format or the form of a children’s book," Joy says. "I focused on inventors as I admire resourcefulness."
On the left: An illustration of Joy James. On the right is the following quote: "I believe that learning never stops, and that being inspired helps you learn!"

ALT On the left: An illustration of Joy James. On the right is the following quote: "I believe that learning never stops, and that being inspired helps you learn!"

2
2
3
The kids' book is beautifully illustrated and celebrates the achievements of 16 Black innovators, including American engineer Henry Sampson, and Alice Parker, famous for her patented system of central heating using natural gas.
Illustration of Henry Sampson holding a beaker with a space scene (featuring a rocket) in the background.

ALT Illustration of Henry Sampson holding a beaker with a space scene (featuring a rocket) in the background.

Illustration of Alice parker warming her hands over her invention. She is standing in front of a home with snow falling in the background.

ALT Illustration of Alice parker warming her hands over her invention. She is standing in front of a home with snow falling in the background.

3
3
1
3
Earlier this year, @JoyJamesAuthor published 101 Black Inventors and their Inventions - a book aimed at kids aged 9-12. That was followed up with Brilliant Black Inventors, a kids' book released ahead of October, which is Black History Month in the UK.
1
4
1
9
Photo: The annual banquet after the Nobel ceremony, 1958 at Grand Hôtel Royal, Blue Hall, Sweden. Nobel prizes have always had a diversity problem, one much larger than bias on the part of the Nobel selection committees – it’s systemic. 🧵 📸: bit.ly/3AqieQi
Nobel Banquet at the Golden Hall of the Stockholm City Hall on 10 December 1958. Black and white photo.

ALT Nobel Banquet at the Golden Hall of the Stockholm City Hall on 10 December 1958. Black and white photo.

1
1
3
Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban epidemiologist who, in 1881, theorized mosquitoes are a carrier of yellow fever This was not widely accepted until 20 years later. He was nominated 7 times for t/ Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine but never won. More: bit.ly/3ASfkoH
On the left: A photo of Carlos Juan Finlay. On the right it says: CARLOS JUAN FINLAY (December 3, 1833 - August 20, 1915) Finlay was a Cuban epidemiologist who, in 1881, theorized that mosquitoes are a carrier of yellow fever. When he first presented his findings at Havana’s Academy of Science, he was ridiculed.

ALT On the left: A photo of Carlos Juan Finlay. On the right it says: CARLOS JUAN FINLAY (December 3, 1833 - August 20, 1915) Finlay was a Cuban epidemiologist who, in 1881, theorized that mosquitoes are a carrier of yellow fever. When he first presented his findings at Havana’s Academy of Science, he was ridiculed.

2
3
We’d like to end by thanking our friends at @500womensci for partnering with us on this piece, and a special shoutout to Farah Qaiser (@this_is_farah) & Nicole Williams for putting it all together ♥️
On the right is a photo of Farah. On the left is her bio: Farah is a genomics researcher who uses DNA sequencing to better understand complex neurological disorders, and carries out policy-related research. Outside the lab, Farah has written about science for media outlets, hosted Wikipedia Edit-A-Thons, and co-founded the Toronto Science Policy Network. She serves on the Canada Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council, and the Executive Leadership Team for 500 Women Scientists.

ALT On the right is a photo of Farah. On the left is her bio: Farah is a genomics researcher who uses DNA sequencing to better understand complex neurological disorders, and carries out policy-related research. Outside the lab, Farah has written about science for media outlets, hosted Wikipedia Edit-A-Thons, and co-founded the Toronto Science Policy Network. She serves on the Canada Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council, and the Executive Leadership Team for 500 Women Scientists.

On the right is a photo of Nicole. On the left is her bio: Nicole Williams (she/her/hers) is a marine scientist, DEI practitioner, and advocate for policies that improve the well-being/health of self-identifying African American women. She holds a MSc from Hawai’i Pacific University and a BA in biology from Wittenberg University. Nicole is the Director of Outreach at 500 Women Scientists, and manages the Gage database, which is the world’s largest community of women and gender diverse individuals in STEM. She is also the co-founder of the Black Women’s Collective.

ALT On the right is a photo of Nicole. On the left is her bio: Nicole Williams (she/her/hers) is a marine scientist, DEI practitioner, and advocate for policies that improve the well-being/health of self-identifying African American women. She holds a MSc from Hawai’i Pacific University and a BA in biology from Wittenberg University. Nicole is the Director of Outreach at 500 Women Scientists, and manages the Gage database, which is the world’s largest community of women and gender diverse individuals in STEM. She is also the co-founder of the Black Women’s Collective.

1
4
Load more