Ever since entering the workforce, black women in STEM have endeavored through intellectual innovation without their due recognition. These hidden figures have revolutionized the field of science, technology, engineering, and math — persevering beyond society’s hindrances and achieving unmatched success. As a woman of color in STEM, I hold deep admiration for the committed and resilient black women that have stood before me. As we embark on celebrating this year’s Black History Month, let’s honor and admire some notable female black revolutionaries in STEM and give them the recognition they sincerely deserve.
Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown (1919-2004)
Raised in an orphanage, often working as a maid throughout her adolescence, Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown surmounted every obstacle in her path to becoming the first female black surgeon in the United States. Brown sought to succeed in her education from a young age and upon graduating second in her class in 1941 from Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, she sought to aid the impacts of World War II as an inspector for the Army Ordnance Department in Rochester, New York. Brown had always dreamed of becoming a physician and began studying medicine at the Meharry Medical College in Nashville in 1944, earning her degree in 1948. She completed her five-year residency at Meharry’s George Hubbard Hospital in 1949, ultimately becoming Professor of Surgery in 1955. At the time of her residency, she endured resistance from racism to sexism, seeking to be “…not hard, but durable.” Dr. Brown went above and beyond in other aspects of her life as well, becoming the first single woman in Tennessee to become an adoptive parent in 1956 and later serving as the first black woman in the Tennessee state legislature. She was the epitome of hard work and resilience and is someone to admire for centuries.
Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)
This truly would not be a tribute to notable black women in STEM if Katherine Johnson was not honored. From the start of her education, Johnson used her brilliance to excel and advance in mathematics. Upon graduating with the highest honors in 1937 from West Virginia State College, she was offered a spot in the graduate math program at West Virginia, becoming the first black woman offered admission at the institution. Johnson later joined the all-black West Area Computing section at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA’s) Langley laboratory. This career development allowed Johnson to change the entire projection of space exploration. Not only did she provide calculations for the 1958 document Notes on Space Technology, but she also provided trajectory analysis for 1960 Mission Freedom 7, the USA’s first human spaceflight. More significantly, she was personally called upon by John Glenn to double-check calculations for the Friendship 7 Mission, marking a pivotal moment in the Space Race. The award-winning film Hidden Figures (2012) is based on her remarkable career and she will forever be a legacy holding pioneer of the final frontier.
Bessie Blount Griffin (1914-2009)
As one of the first and few African American physical therapists of her time, Bessie Blount Griffin was a leading innovator in her field. She had unique approaches to her practices, often incorporating her personal passion for interpretive dance into treatments. She practiced at numerous veterans’ hospitals, eventually inventing her patented Portable Receptacle Support in 1951, a device that seeks to aid diplegic individuals by supporting a feeding bowl. Impressed by Blount’s innovation, the French Government purchased the patent the following year and distributed Blount’s products to veterans in need. Aside from physical therapy, she led an impressive career in forensics and was the first American woman admitted as a student at the Document Division of the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory in London. Her brilliant and versatile career is one to admire and her contributions to the world are unlike anyone else’s.
In our 21st century realm of STEM, we can all agree that black women are underrepresented and a rare breed. As a budding professional, I am inspired and uplifted by the strength and tenacity of not only these women, but all black women in STEM. This Black History Month, let’s tribute Dorothy, Katherine, and Bessie: the black women in STEM that will inspire generations to come.