General Resources
A Rapid Response to Racism in STEM
Building an antiracist lab: Scientists offer steps to take action now
Assignments and Lesson Plans
The Scientist Spotlights Initiative
Provides "access to easy-to-implement assignments/activities that link course content to the stories of counter-stereotypical scientists."
The Underrepresentation Curriculum Project
Provides lesson plans for STEM instructors who wish to incorporate teaching about equity within their field.
Inventors & STEM Professionals - Library of Congress
Journal Articles
Anthony-Stevens, V., & Matsaw Jr, S. L. (2020). The Productive Uncertainty of Indigenous and Decolonizing Methodologies in the Preparation of Interdisciplinary Stem Researchers. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 15(2), 595-613. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019-09942-x
Asai, D. J. (2020). Race Matters. Cell, 181(4), 754-757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.044
Bang, M., Marin, A., & Medin, D. (2018). If Indigenous Peoples Stand with the Sciences, Will Scientists Stand with Us? Daedalus, 147(2), 148-159. https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00498
Basile, V., & Black, R. (2019). They hated me till I was one of the “good ones”: Toward Understanding and Disrupting the Differential Racialization of Undergraduate African American STEM Majors. Journal of Negro Education 88(3), 379-390. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/802596.
Canning, E. A., Muenks, K., Green, D. J., & Murphy, M. C. (2019). STEM faculty who believe ability is fixed have larger racial achievement gaps and inspire less student motivation in their classes. Science Advances. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aau4734
Chaudhary, V. B., & Berhe, A. A. (2020). Ten Simple Rules for Building an Antiracist Lab. PLOS Computational Biology, 16(10), e1008210. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008210
Dewsbury, B., & Brame, C. J. (2019). Inclusive Teaching. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 18(2), fe2. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-01-0021
Haynes, C., & Patton, L. D. (2019). From Racial Resistance to Racial Consciousness: Engaging White Stem Faculty in Pedagogical Transformation. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 22(2), 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555458919829845
Johnson, A., & Elliott, S. (2020). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: A Model To Guide Cultural Transformation in STEM Departments. Journal of microbiology & biology education, 21(1), 21.1.35. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.2097
Nix, S., & Perez-Felkner, L. (2019). Difficulty Orientations, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity: An Intersectional Analysis of Pathways to Stem Degrees. Social Sciences, 8(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8020043
Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R., Stearns, E., & Moller, S. (2018). Race and Gender Differences in How Sense of Belonging Influences Decisions to Major in Stem. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0115-6
Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J. A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M. E., Littlefield, C. E., … Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476–6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117
Recommended Books
Diversifying STEM by ISBN: 9781978805675Publication Date: 2019-11-012020 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Research frequently neglects the important ways that race and gender intersect within the complex structural dynamics of STEM. Diversifying STEM fills this void, bringing together a wide array of perspectives and the voices of a number of multidisciplinary scholars. The essays cover three main areas: the widely-held ideology that science and mathematics are "value-free," which promotes pedagogies of colorblindness in the classroom as well as an avoidance of discussions around using mathematics and science to promote social justice; how male and female students of color experience the intersection of racist and sexist structures that lead to general underrepresentation and marginalization; and recognizing that although there are no quick fixes, there exists evidence-based research suggesting concrete ways of doing a better job of including individuals of color in STEM. As a whole this volume will allow practitioners, teachers, students, faculty, and professionals to reimagine STEM across a variety of educational paradigms, perspectives, and disciplines, which is critical in finding solutions that broaden the participation of historically underrepresented groups within the STEM disciplines.
Black, Brown, Bruised: How Racialized STEM Education Stifles Innovation by ISBN: 9781682535356Publication Date: 2020-10-20Drawing on narratives from hundreds of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous individuals, Ebony Omotola McGee examines the experiences of underrepresented racially minoritized students and faculty members who have succeeded in STEM. Based on this extensive research, McGee advocates for structural and institutional changes to address racial discrimination, stereotyping, and hostile environments in an effort to make the field more inclusive. The book provides searing accounts of racism inscribed on campus, in the lab, and on the job, and portrays learning and work environments as arenas rife with racial stereotyping, conscious and unconscious bias, and micro-aggressions. As a result, many students experience the effects of a racial battle fatigue--physical and mental exhaustion borne of their hostile learning and work environments--leading them to abandon STEM fields entirely. McGee offers policies and practices that must be implemented to ensure that STEM education and employment become more inclusive including internships, mentoring opportunities, and curricular offerings. Such structural changes are imperative if we are to reverse the negative effects of racialized STEM and unlock the potential of all students to drive technological innovation and power the economy.
Biology
The Black clinical microbiologists on whose shoulders we stand.
40 Years of Human Experimentation in America: The Tuskegee Study
Race is real, but it's not genetic.
Course Materials
Introduction to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism in Biology Syllabus
"A repository of teaching materials and methods aimed at enhancing human diversity and inclusivity in biology courses."
Journal Articles
Akam, E., Azevedo, C., Chaney, A. M., Dhanvantari, S., Edwards, K. J., Henry, K. E., Ibhagui, O. Y., Ijoma, J. N., Ikotun, O. F., Mack, K. N., Nagle, V. L., Pereira, P. M. R., Purcell, M. L., Sanders, V. A., Shokeen, M., & Wang, X. (2021). Visions by Women in Molecular Imaging Network: Antiracism and Allyship in Action. Molecular Imaging and Biology, 23(3), 301-309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-021-01597-x
Nardi, C. L. (2021). Antiracist Opportunities in the <I>Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education</I>: Considerations for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 22(2), 10.1128/jmbe.00151-00121. https://doi.org/doi:10.1128/jmbe.00151-21
Templeton, A. R. (2013). Biological Races in Humans. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 44(3), 262-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2013.04.010
Engineering
Videos and Webinars
Anti-Racism in Engineering Education: From Dialogue to Action - ASEE Webinar
We Rise - Video Series by "Black in Engineering"
Open Acess Resources
Hyper-invisibility: What it’s like to be Black in engineering - SPIE
Journal Articles
Coley, B. C., & Huff, J. L.. (2022). Special Session: Inhibition to Antiracist Progress – Confronting the Intersection of Shame and Racism in Engineering Education. 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)https://doi.org/10.1109/fie56618.2022.9962538
Cross, K. J. (2020). Racism Is the Manifestation of White Supremacy and Antiracism Is the Answer. Journal of Engineering Education, 109(4), 625-628. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20362
Dietz, G. A., Douglas, E. P., Mccray, E. D., Mejia, J. A., Pawley, A., & Revelo, R. A. (2022). Learning from Antiracist Theories to Reframe Engineering Education Research on Race. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 28(2), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1615/jwomenminorscieneng.2022036609
Li, S. (2022, 2022-07-01). Bringing the World: Capitalizing on Multilingual and Multicultural Resources in a Technical and Professional Communication Classroom. 2022 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm), https://doi.org/10.1109/procomm53155.2022.00016
Pamulapati, V. R., Godwin, A., Rodriguez-Simmonds, H. E., Langus, T., Major, J. C., Pearson, N., & Kirn, A. (2021, 2021-10-13). Student-Faculty Interactions to Promote Equity in Engineering. 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), https://doi.org/10.1109/fie49875.2021.9637422
Platt, M. O. (2020). We Exist. We Are Your Peers. Nature Reviews Materials, 5(11), 783-784. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-00248-x
Secules, S., Park, S. E., Mccall, C., & Kali, M. B. (2021, 2021-10-13). Developing a Survey for Engineering Faculty Knowledge and Interest in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Topics. 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), https://doi.org/10.1109/fie49875.2021.9637133
Geo and Environmental Science
Lesson Plans
This resource provides teaching modules, including slides, lecture notes, and additional resources, “to assist educators in integrating topics on racism, colonialism, imperialism, environmental damage, and exploitation of natural resources into subjects commonly taught within geoscience departments.”
Journal Articles
Ali, H. N., Sheffield, S. L., Bauer, J. E., Caballero-Gill, R. P., Gasparini, N. M., Libarkin, J., Gonzales, K. K., Willenbring, J., Amir-Lin, E., Cisneros, J., Desai, D., Erwin, M., Gallant, E., Gomez, K. J., Keisling, B. A., Mahon, R., Marín-Spiotta, E., Welcome, L., & Schneider, B. (2021). An Actionable Anti-Racism Plan for Geoscience Organizations. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23936-w
Breanna, N. H., Pumtiwitt, C. M., April, M. W., Heidi, S., Kate, S. B., Stephanie, L. S., Lathiena, A. M., Jessica, L. M., & Roni, M. E. (2020). From Panic to Pedagogy: Using Online Active Learning to Promote Inclusive Instruction in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Courses and Beyond. 10(22), 12581-12612. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6915
Emily, P., & Sibyl, D. (2020). Situating the Scientist: Creating Inclusive Science Communication through Equity Framing and Environmental Justice. 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00006
Morales, N., Bisbee O’Connell, K., Mcnulty, S., Berkowitz, A., Bowser, G., Giamellaro, M., & Miriti, M. N.. (2020). Promoting inclusion in ecological field experiences: Examining and overcoming barriers to a professional rite of passage. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 101(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1742
Platt, M. O. (2020). We Exist. We Are Your Peers. Nature Reviews Materials, 5(11), 783-784. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-00248-x
Sy, J. M. C. (2022). Till the Land, Defend the Land: Reflections on the Critical Place-Based Pedagogy of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, Surigao Del Sur. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 18(3), 402-411. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801221115925
Trisos, C. H., Auerbach, J., & Katti, M. (2021). Decoloniality and Anti-Oppressive Practices for a More Ethical Ecology. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(9), 1205-1212. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01460-w
Tseng, M., El-Sabaawi, R. W., Kantar, M. B., Pantel, J. H., Srivastava, D. S., & Ware, J. L. (2020). Strategies and Support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4(10), 1288-1290. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1252-0
Books
Braiding Sweetgrass by ISBN: 9781571311771Publication Date: 2020-10-13In increasingly dark times, we honor the experience that more than 350,000 readers in North America have cherished about the book--gentle, simple, tactile, beautiful, even sacred--and offer an edition that will inspire readers to gift it again and again, spreading the word about scientific knowledge, indigenous wisdom, and the teachings of plants. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise" (Elizabeth Gilbert). Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings--asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass--offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
Mathematics & Data Science
Open Access Resources
In Six Ways Mathematics Instructors Can Support Diversity and Inclusion, Natalie LF Hobson suggests the following approaches:
- Use students’ interest in contextualized tasks
- Expose students to a diverse group of mathematicians
- Design assessments and assignments with a variety of response types
- Use systematic grading and participation methods
- Consider your course logistics
- Encourage students to embrace a growth mindset
Can mathematics be antiracist? - AMS
Journal Articles
Charleston, L. J., George, P. L., Jackson, J. F. L., Berhanu, J., & Amechi, M. H. (2014). Navigating Underrepresented Stem Spaces: Experiences of Black Women in U.S. Computing Science Higher Education Programs Who Actualize Success. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 7(3), 166-176. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036632
Diaz-Lopez, A., Harris, P. E., Langarica, A. P., & Sosa, G. (2016). Lathisms: Latin@S and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences. Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 63(09), 1019-1024. https://doi.org/10.1090/noti1425
Jett, C. C. (2013). Culturally Responsive Collegiate Mathematics Education: Implications for African American Students [Article]. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching & Learning, 3(2), 102-116. https://echo.louisville.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=94849144&site=ehost-live
Johns, C., & Mills, M. (2021). Online Mathematics Tutoring During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Recommendations for Best Practices. PRIMUS, 31(1), 99-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2020.1818336
Kulago, H. A., Wapeemukwa, W., Guernsey, P. J., & Black, M. (2021). Land, Water, Mathematics, and Relationships: What Does Creating Decolonizing and Indigenous Curricula Ask of Us? [Article]. Educational Studies, 57(3), 345-363. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2021.1892690
Books
Algorithms of Oppression by ISBN: 9781479837243Publication Date: 2018-02-20A revealing look at how negative biases against women of color are embedded in search engine results and algorithms Run a Google search for "black girls"--what will you find? "Big Booty" and other sexually explicit terms are likely to come up as top search terms. But, if you type in "white girls," the results are radically different. The suggested porn sites and un-moderated discussions about "why black women are so sassy" or "why black women are so angry" presents a disturbing portrait of black womanhood in modern society. In Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Umoja Noble challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities. Data discrimination is a real social problem; Noble argues that the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color. Through an analysis of textual and media searches as well as extensive research on paid online advertising, Noble exposes a culture of racism and sexism in the way discoverability is created online. As search engines and their related companies grow in importance--operating as a source for email, a major vehicle for primary and secondary school learning, and beyond--understanding and reversing these disquieting trends and discriminatory practices is of utmost importance. An original, surprising and, at times, disturbing account of bias on the internet, Algorithms of Oppression contributes to our understanding of how racism is created, maintained, and disseminated in the 21st century.
Weapons of Math Destruction by ISBN: 9780553418835Publication Date: 2017-09-05We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives--where we go to school, whether we can get a job or a loan, how much we pay for health insurance--are being made not by humans, but by machines. In theory, this should lead to greater fairness: Everyone is judged according to the same rules. But as mathematician and data scientist Cathy O'Neil reveals, the mathematical models being used today are unregulated and uncontestable, even when they're wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination--propping up the lucky, punishing the downtrodden, and undermining our democracy in the process. Welcome to the dark side of Big Data.
Physics & Chemistry
Open Access Resources
How can I talk about equity in physics classes? - PhysPort
Journal Articles
Baylor, M.-E., Hoehn, J. R., & Finkelstein, N. (2022). Infusing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Throughout Our Physics Curriculum: (Re)Defining What It Means to Be a Physicist. The Physics Teacher, 60(3), 172-175. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0032998
Daane, A. R., Decker, S. R., & Sawtelle, V. (2017). Teaching About Racial Equity in Introductory Physics Courses. The Physics Teacher, 55(6), 328-333. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4999724
Doucette, D., Daane, A. R., Flynn, A., Gosling, C., Hsi, D., Mathis, C., Morrison, A., Park, S., Rifkin, M., & Tabora, J. (2022). Teaching Equity in Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 99(1), 301-306. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00415
Huynh, T., Bauman, L., Robertson, A., & Scherr, R. (2021, August 4-5). Physics teachers’ framings of the relationship between equity and antiracism. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2021, Virtual Conference, https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2021…
Leyva, L. A. (2022, 2022-09-22). We Can’T Just Turn That Off and Then Do Some Physics: A Counter-Storytelling Analysis of Introductory Physics as a White, Cisheteropatriarchal Space in Undergraduate Stem Education. 2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2022…
Mathis, C., Daane, A. R., Rodriguez, B., Hernandez, J., & Huynh, T. (2023). How Instructors Can View Knowledge to Implement Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevphyseducres.19.010105
Mathis, C., & Southerland, S. (2022). Our Shifting Understandings of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Physics. The Physics Teacher, 60(4), 260-265. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0027583
Mathis, C., Daane, A. R., Rodriguez, B., Hernandez, J., & Huynh, T. (2023). How Instructors Can View Knowledge to Implement Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevphyseducres.19.010105
Mathis, C., & Southerland, S. (2022). Our Shifting Understandings of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Physics. The Physics Teacher, 60(4), 260-265. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0027583
Wooley, A., Basara, R., & Daane, A. R. (2021, 2021-10-10). Embracing Subjectivity in Physics to Support Student Empowerment. 2021 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2021