Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM

by Tonya Bolden

Overview

A celebratory and inspiring look at some of the most important Black women in STEM

Award-winning author Tonya Bolden explores Black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in America. Including groundbreaking computer scientists, doctors, inventors, physicists, pharmacists, mathematicians, aviators, and many more, this book celebrates more than 50 women who have shattered the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination, and pioneered in their fields. In these profiles, young readers will find role models, inspirations, and maybe even reasons to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow. These stories help young readers to dream big and stay curious. The book includes endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419707346
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	136,324
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Tonya Bolden has written numerous bestselling books for children and adults, and her work has garnered many awards, including the Coretta Scott King Honor, James Madison Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and YALSA Best Book of the Year. She lives in New York City. Visit tonyaboldenbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Young people are sure to find intriguing role models among the many STEM all-stars in this comprehensive look at the achievements of gifted Black scientists and doctors."

Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Bolden, a master of the collective biography, presents an impeccably-researched call to action, imploring black girls to fight the racial and gender imbalance that plagues the STEM field." —School Library Journal

"Bolden's lively text, accompanied by archival images, underscores the importance of sharing these stories to understand the long tradition of black women striving in these areas.A worthy addition to the effort to tell a more complete and compelling American history."—Kirkus Review

"Young people are sure to find intriguing role models among the many STEM all-stars in this comprehensive look at the achievements of gifted Black scientists and doctors."—Booklist

From the Publisher

"Young people are sure to find intriguing role models among the many STEM all-stars in this comprehensive look at the achievements of gifted Black scientists and doctors."

Booklist

★ 01/01/2020

Gr 5–8—Bolden's broad view of STEM, including profiles of physicians and medical professionals, is aimed at middle grade readers interested in science careers. The book opens with a section ("In the Vanguard") devoted to black women who battled racism and discrimination following the Civil War. Rebecca Crumpler, who worked as a nurse, was born free in Delaware. She decided to move to Virginia right after the war to assist with the injured. Many women in the book earned pioneer status: the first to pass a state medical exam, graduate from medical college, practice medicine, or head a science department. Most poignant are the trailblazers whose discoveries, like a humane treatment for leprosy, resulted in their deaths from side effects of the experiment. The second section celebrates those who entered aviation, bacteriology, mathematics, and architecture. The third section features geneticists, marine biologists, and the inventor of the device to remove cataracts. Milestones that mark each era (the Declaration of Sentiments written in 1848 to advance women's rights; the passage of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1964) are noted. Even though it is a pleasure to discover so many overlooked geniuses, including Angie Lena Turner King (Katherine Johnson's mentor), it's sobering to learn that only one percent of black women earned engineering degrees in 2015. VERDICT Bolden, a master of the collective biography, presents an impeccably-researched call to action, imploring black girls to fight the racial and gender imbalance that plagues the STEM field.—Patricia Aakre, P.S. 89, New York

School Library Journal

2019-11-05
African American women in the past and present have overcome racial and gender barriers to succeed in STEM fields.

Bolden begins by providing background and context, explaining that traditionally STEM's definition did not include medical fields. Bolden, however, does include women from those areas, including Dr. Rebecca Crumpler, who "earned her MD in 1864—four years before black people in America had citizenship." Dr. Crumpler, like many discussed, combined her scientific knowledge with a commitment to serve the community. In the period after the Civil War that saw the establishment of black colleges, many of the subjects received degrees and taught in those schools. Following Plessy v. Ferguson, some worked in the institutions available to serve blacks. While there are obvious similarities in the stories presented, there were also some unique situations, such as Ida Gray Nelson Rollins'. The first black woman doctor of dental surgery, she came to the field after working for two white dentists who encouraged her. Many more were mentored by other African Americans who recognized their talents. Contemporary biographees include video game developers, computer scientists, and a founder of a nonprofit organization that encourages black girls to learn coding. Bolden's lively text, accompanied by archival images, underscores the importance of sharing these stories to understand the long tradition of black women striving in these areas.

A worthy addition to the effort to tell a more complete and compelling American history. (source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews