Black History Month: 5 African American STEM Pioneers to Know

Black History Month: 5 African American STEM Pioneers to Know

During Black History Month, students typically learn about significant African American men and women who have made an impact on our country and world through fighting for civil rights, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks, or excelling in sports and music, like Jesse Owens and Marian Anderson.  However, students are less likely to be educated about the many African Americans who have contributed to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. To bring awareness, this week we are highlighting five important African American figures who paved the way in their respective STEM fields.

1) Benjamin Banneker: Mathematician, Astronomer, Inventor

Benjamin Banneker was a free black man born in the 1700s who was a self-taught mathematician and astronomer.   Banneker is recognized for writing and publishing some of the earliest known American almanacs annually between 1792 and 1797.  His almanacs featured information about astronomical events, such as eclipses, weather predictions and forecasts about the tides of the sea to benefit farmers and fisherman. Banneker also crafted America’s first wooden clock and we have him to thank for his role in the development of our nation’s capital, as he was selected to assist with “surveying” or taking accurate distance measurements for land that would eventually become Washington, DC.

2) Lonnie Johnson:  Engineer, Inventor

You may not have heard his name before but, he is responsible for creating one of the most beloved children’s toys of the 1990s and today, the Super Soaker water gun. An engineer by day, Johnson’s invention was inspired by his initial desire to create a heat pump operated by water instead of chemicals. However, after testing his invention, he realized it would be better suited as a children’s toy, and the rest is history. Today, Johnson is still inventing and creating new toys, having been involved in developing Nerf soft foam dart guns.

3) Mae Jemison:  Astronaut, Physician, Engineer

Mae Jemison (pictured) is the first African American female astronaut to go into space, having traveled beyond earth in 1992 on the spaceship Endeavor. Prior to becoming an astronaut, Jemison was the first African American woman accepted into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut training program, beating out a group of of 2,000 other applicants.  While in space, her role as the Science Mission Specialist was to conduct scientific experiments with the onboard crew, including testing the effects of weightlessness and motion sickness. Prior to her career as an astronaut, Jemison worked as an engineer and practiced general medicine.

4) Percy Julian: Chemist/Entrepreneur

Percy Julian is an African American chemist whose research helped to create steroid medical treatments for various illnesses, such as glaucoma and rheumatoid arthritis.  Julian discovered how to combine naturally occurring compounds found in plants with medicinal benefits. This discovery allowed for the medicines to then be mass-produced. He is also credited with discovering how to produce a steroid from the soybean plant and create cortisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation in the body, in a cheaper form. Julian also holds the distinction of being the 4^th African American to earn a Ph.D., having earned a doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Vienna after he was turned away from Harvard University’s doctorate program after earning a master’s degree there.  He eventually established his own laboratory in the 1950s to continue his work, selling the company in 1961 for $2 million dollars.

5) Annie J. Easley:  Mathematician, Computer Engineer, Rocket Scientist

Annie J. Easley began her professional career in 1955 at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA (later known as NASA). She worked in a research laboratory as a “human computer,” performing calculations advanced mathematical calculations by hand.  She then moved into computer programming, creating and using computer codes for projects that eventually led to numerous technological developments, such as what we use today to power hybrid (electric and gas-powered) vehicles, send rockets into space, and use other sustainable energy sources, such as wind and solar. She went on to work for NASA for 34 years, while also championing equal opportunities for other minorities and women working at NASA and in her field.  

The 5 pioneers profiled here are only a small number of the many other African American men and women whose contributions are responsible for so many of the benefits and advancements we enjoy in mathematics and the STEM fields today. Hopefully, their stories will inspire your child to one day follow in their footsteps.

Here at Mathnasium, we champion daily the importance and impact that math can have. We specialize in offering individualized math instruction for children in grades 2 - 12, in person and online. Give us a call or send us an email directly to schedule your child's free assessment today!