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Being in the epicenter of technology innovation and where the value of studying math and science result in economic growth, why are Black children in public schools in the surrounding underserved areas — such as Oakland, California — not benefitting from a multitude of opportunities that could bridge the social injustice and inequity in education?
Why are young girls of color in elementary and middle school not attracted to STEM related classes that have historical roots in Africa? Our young Black girls are falling behind in their academic pursuits due to a series of complex systems. According to the 2017 National Science Foundation report, only 5.4% of Black students were awarded doctorate degrees.
As a Black female doctorate student within a small pool of candidates, I want to ensure that young girls of color in the public schools reach their educational and intellectual potential that could lead to lucrative careers and create financial wealth for themselves and their families. Moreover, early exposure to STEM classes would create a pool of educated young professionals that reflect the diverse demographics of their communities. These young girls will become role models for the next generation of successful STEM professionals. Sadly, women of color only represent 3% of STEM professions, according to the National Science Foundation 2017 report.
The education system gives all children the opportunity to receive a quality education and provide them with the necessary skills to be a productive person in society, developing a whole, well-rounded child. However, the public school systems in most underserved cities simply are failing their Black children because of unconscious biases of teachers, unskilled educators, lack of culturally designed tools and mentorship. Advocacy is collectively reversing ineffective teaching methods and curriculum and dispeling the stereotypes of Black children’s learning abilities.
Most elementary school teachers are generalists and are trained with limited specialty in the STEM fields; hence, the subjects can be a source of anxiety and lead to avoidance of approaching the topics.
Undoubtedly, improvement in our children’s presentation in math and science is mandatory. We need more game changers, specialists and partnerships from Silicon Valley firms to bridge the gap. Not every child strives to be an engineer or scientist, or will be.
Evidence shows that educators, community advocates and, more importantly, parents are the drivers to change in the educational system. But with a lack of resources, achieving the basic components for improvement are non-existence.
In a recent policy change by the San Francisco School District, Algebra 1 is offered in the 9th grade, evening the playing field in math. Also, as it relates to math, girls perform as well as boys. In science, girls perform on par with boys, and enroll in advanced science and math courses at equal rates as they move into high school. And then something happens: A gender gap in participation starts to appear as girls take fewer of the more advanced STEM courses and tests as they get closer to college. This gap widens the longer girls are in school, often compounded by issues of race and class.
In order to address the lack of interest in STEM by Black girls, and improve literacy skills, we must engage our underserved students at an early age and include innovative teaching techniques and tools that celebrate their cultural identity and self-perception of their authentic self.
As in the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child.”
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Native to the San Francisco Bay Area, Jacqueline Harrison is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Southern California, focusing on achieving equal opportunity and social justice, with an emphasis on literacy proficiency and redirecting the educational trajectory to STEM for girls of color.
