At the 89th Academy Awards in 2017, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson (2nd L) appears onstage with (L-R) actors Janelle Monae, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer. The actors starred in the movie ‘hidden figures,’ about the black women who helped the Apollo program successfully land and return astronauts on the Moon for the first time. Katherine Johnson, long cut out of the history she helped create, is finally receiving the recognition she richly deserves a half-century after her incomparable contributions. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

6 Steps Everyone Can Take To Become An Ally In White, Male-Dominated Workplaces

If fair treatment for all is something that’s important to you, here’s how you can help level an uneven playing field.

In some ways, it’s true that life isn’t fair for each and every one of us. But for those of us who are underrepresented in our chosen career field, the level of unfairness is greatly magnified. A large number of scientific, technical and academic professions — including computer programming, mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, etc. — are inordinately dominated at all levels (undergraduate, graduate school, early career, senior positions) by white males, far in excess of what one would expect if there were a level playing field.

The gender and racial disparities in these (and other) fields cannot be explained away by the “inherent differences” hypothesis. However, there are real, ubiquitous, and pervasive problems that disproportionately affect women, people of color, and all underrepresented minorities. This includes not only harassment, but many inappropriate behaviors that add up to send the toxic message of, “you don’t belong here.”

Thankfully, more and more voices are speaking up to counter that message. Here are six steps that you can take to help.