BlackInAstro

Black In Astro
Formation2020
FounderAshley Walker
PurposeAcademia, Activism
Websitehttps://www.blackinastro.com/

BlackInAstro is an organization that was founded with the purpose to celebrate and amplify the voices of Black scientists and engineers in the space community. The organization and the broader movement are intended to highlight visibility of Black scientists, researchers and engineers that are often marginalized and face discrimination and other challenges while navigating academia.[1][2]

Origins

The organisation was founded in 2020 by astrochemist and organiser Ashley Walker. The aim of the organisation is to offer support and networking opportunities for Black people who work or study astronomy and space-related fields, which includes the humanities. The organisation hold year-round events, such as their annual "Black Space Week", to increase visibility of Black people in space-related fields and to increase Black representation in space.[3]

Walker founded Black in Astro following Black Birders Week - an event in response to the Central Park birdwatching incident and police brutality against Black Americans. It is a part of a social media movement to highlight the contributions of Black scientists, including other organisations such as BlackinChem and Black In Neuro. As of 2020, about 2% of Bachelors' and PhD degrees in the US in astronomy were awarded to Black students,[4][5] while Black academics also experience higher rates of discrimination compared to their white peers.[6]

Its current leadership consists of Walker, Dr. Caprice Phillips, KeShawn Ivory, Naia Butler-Craig, Cheyenne Polius, Robert Washington, and AJ Link.

Awards

In 2022, Black in Astro received an award from the Heising-Simons Foundation to fund events and programming for Black Space Week.[3] The Royal Astronomical Society awarded Black in Astro the 2023 Annie S. D. Maunder Medal for outreach or public engagement in astronomy or geophysics, highlighting "their dedication to fostering joy and authenticity for all Black people interested in STEM."[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mallenbaum, Carly. "#BlackBirdersWeek, #BlackInNeuro: Bla". USA Today. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  2. ^ Kwon, Karen (25 June 2020). "Black Astronomers Highlight Achievements and Obstacles". Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Butler-Craig, Naia; Hadnott, Bryné; Ivory, KeShawn; Joseph, Tana; Link, A. J.; Polius, Cheyenne; Phillips, Caprice L.; Tyler, Dakotah; Walker, Ashley; Washington, Robert (2025-06-19). "Empowering voices and building bridges across the space community with Black In Astro". Nature Astronomy. 9 (6): 750–753. Bibcode:2025NatAs...9..750B. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02588-6. ISSN 2397-3366.
  4. ^ "Task Force Recommendations Outline Changes Needed to Increase African American Physics and Astronomy Students - AIP.ORG". AIP. 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  5. ^ Feder, Toni (2020-02-01). "Goal: Double the number of African Americans in physics and astronomy". Physics Today. 73 (2): 20–23. Bibcode:2020PhT....73b..20F. doi:10.1063/PT.3.4405. ISSN 0031-9228.
  6. ^ Anderson, Monica (15 September 2015). "The race gap in science knowledge". PEW Research. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  7. ^ Simion @Yonescat, Florin (2023-01-14). "Royal Astronomical Society unveils 2023 award winners". The Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 2025-07-25.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.