February is Black History Month: African Americans in the Chemical Sciences

The achievements of African Americans who overcame great odds to pioneer important discoveries and developments in history are featured in several recent publications, African American chemists: academia, industry, and social entrepreneurship and African American women chemists in the modern era.

African American chemists: academia, industry, and social entrepreneurship by Sibrina Collins “highlights the contributions African Americans in the chemical sciences have made, despite racial and gender barriers. Their contributions are often overlooked in media, textbooks, and, consequently, the classroom. By highlighting biographical narratives of African American chemists, this work serves as a tool to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom and beyond, providing the next generation of chemists diverse examples of success.” https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2021-1381

African American women chemists in the modern era by Jeannette Brown “focuses on contemporary women who have benefited from the Civil Rights Act and are now working as chemists or chemical engineers. This book was produced by taking the oral history of women who are leaders in their field and telling the world how they succeeded. They inspire women and minorities to pursue careers in the sciences, as evidenced by the successful career paths of the women that came before them.”
https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190615178.001.0001

More resources describing contributions by African Americans to the chemical sciences are on the ACS National website https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/african-americans-in-sciences.html

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