Black Twitter Accounts to Follow to Continue Celebrating BHM after BHM
February is Black History Month. Black History Month was first recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976, to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
While agreeing that our Black friends and colleagues are often overlooked and deserve to be recognized, we at Biocord Network believe that we should be honoring and recognizing the achievements and successes of Black scientists regardless of whether it is Black History Month or not.
In this post, I’d like to highlight a couple amazing Black scientists and researchers on Twitter who are advocates for Black empowerment year-round. Something to note (that I think perpetuates how Black scientists are incredibly underrepresented) is that during a run through of my personal academic Twitter feed, I found that I follow a proportionally small number of Black-promoting and Black-run accounts. So in this post, I’ll also be highlighting researchers and accounts that I have found in making this post that I now follow because they’re aspirational af.
Scientists to Follow
@Lola_UMich Professor Enioloa-Adefeso is the Associal Dean of Engineering as well as being the University Diversity & Social transformation Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering a the University of Michigan. Not only is she a kick-ass resarcher in targeted drug delivery and imaging, but she is a massive advocate for increasing diversity in science, particularly when it comes to funding and university faculty.
@DrPlattLab is an amazing researcher at Georgia Tech, whom I’ve had the priviledge of having one single conversation with, as an undergraduate. His lab researches solutions for damage caused by sickle cell disease, which affects 1 in 400 African Americans. Not only being an advocate for Blacks in Engineering, he is also a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in STEM!
@Ravenscimaven is an award-winning science communicator and molecular biologist who has been listed on the Forves 30 Unver 30 for her work in advancing science communication and education. She founded STEMbassy (a science advocacy organization and web series) as well as @BlackInSciComm (another Twitter account to follow!)
@ActiveRoberts is a Public Health Professor at University of Maryland. She not only is a massive advocate for diversity in academia, but looks at racism and health inequity from a public health standpoint.
@motherofneurons appeared on our DiversityInSTEM panel and is a co-founder of @BlackInNeuro. Super lovely, also a strong advocate for LGBTQinSTEM.
@MalikaGrayson is an engineer and author of Hooded and founder of STEMinish Empowered LLC. The dedication for her book: “For every Black Woman on her journey towards higher education. I am your tribe.” 🔥
@kss_phd is a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University, adjunct professor at Agnes Scott University and a co-founder + president-elect of @BlackInNeuro and was named a Forbes 30 Under 30. From her website: “I believe embracing student’s identities and meeting them “where they are” in terms of their intellectual and technical skill set, is the key to helping them find their strengths and introducing students to STEM.”
@ApplewhiteDerek is an Associate Professor in the Biology Dept at Reed College. His pinned tweet is *chef’s kiss*: “#LGBTScience I am a cell biologist who studies the cytoskeleton’s role in cell migration and morphogenesis. I am also black. Diversity is critical to the future of science. I work to lift the next generation”
@LizWaynePhD is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon, and is also the co-host of @PhDivaspodcast, a podcast about academia, culture, and social justice. She also does macrophage engineering (like me)!
@FutureDrDukes is a co-founder and President of @BlackInNeuro. She did a _massive_ thread on Black female scientists, engineers, inventors, or STEM educators for Black History Month and it’s really amazing. Her whole feed is amazing.
@teamkorie is a postdoctoral fellow in chemical engineering at biomedical engineering at University of Michigan who is Redefining the image of STEM. I live for her daily affirmations
Groups to Follow
@BWiSNetwork — A global community of black women in science
@Blackinxnetwork — the collective of movements formed to address anti-Black racism
@BlackinMarSci — We celebrate Black marine scientists, spread environmental aweareness, & inspire the next generation of scientific thought leaders
@TheBSCI — Black Science Coalition and Institute (registered 501c3 nonprofit)
@BlackInMH — Highlighting Black excellence in mental health throughout the world
@BlkDisHigherEd — Organization striving to amplify the intersection of Blackness & Disability in higher education where both identities are respected without ableism & racism
@BlackInSciComm — Building scientists and sharing science, in service to our communities and beyond
@BlackinSTEMEd — celebrating Black STEM educators & education researchers
@BlackinCMDBio — For the Black Cell, Molecular, and/or Developmental Biologist
@BlackInPhysio — Community. Black Physiologists. Supporters. Excellence
Further Thoughts
I think the lack of visibility of underrepresented minorities is a massive problem in academia, and I will end this post with a quote that poignantly describes the situation and the need for change.
We are the editors of a science journal, committed to publishing and disseminating exciting work across the biological sciences. We are 13 scientists. Not one of us is Black. Underrepresentation of Black scientists goes beyond our team — to our authors, reviewers, and advisory board. And we are not alone. It is easy to divert blame, to point out that the journal is a reflection of the scientific establishment, to quote statistics. But it is this epidemic of denial of the integral role that each and every member of our society plays in supporting the status quo by failing to actively fight it that has allowed overt and systemic racism to flourish, crippling the lives and livelihoods of Black Americans, including Black scientists. Science has a racism problem.
- Cell Editorial Team, 2020. Science Has a Racism Problem. Cell, 181 (2020), pp. 1443–1444
