And there is more work to be done!
It’s been so long since we talked about some aspect of popular culture. And, as much as I tried to resist, I couldn’t. For today’s #BLACKandSTEM question: What is your take on Empire? Where do you turn for representation of #BLACKandSTEM on television? Why couldn’t one of the sons have strayed away from the music business, attended AT, and become a mechanical engineer.
With nearly a year under our belt as a community, #BLACKandSTEM has grown far beyond what I could have ever expected. On a snowy day in February, I fired off a tweet asking people who identified themselves as Black and STEM to simply share what they do. Now, relationships have been formed, issues have been elevated, and the community has grown.
There are A LOT of PhDs in the community
Let’s start out 2015 by keeping #BLACKandSTEM growing. For today’s chat question, we are going to back to the original – What’s your STEM? Be sure to include the #BLACKandSTEM hashtag in your tweets!
How do #BLACKandSTEM chats work? Each Thursday, the #BLACKandSTEM community discusses a topic on twitter. The topic gets tweeted in the morning, and people chime in throughout the day. Why throughout the day instead of a designated time? With different time zones, school schedules, and day jobs, having the discussion last throughout the day allows people to add their two-cents when they can.
Do I need to have a PhD or be working on a PhD to participate? Absolutely not! Trust me, that is a great thing. But, the community is not limited to PhDs. Or any degree, for that matter.
I have an idea for a future chat topic, what do I need to do? If you have an idea, email Make sure to specify your twitter name. If you would like to write the blog post to correspond with the chat or if you would like to facilitate the chat, let me know. My twitter accounts is locked, can I participate? People who do not follow you, won’t be able to see your tweets. I know the people keep their accounts locked for valid reasons, so consider making a separate account that you keep anonymous or “business”.
How do I keep up with goings-ons in the #BLACKandSTEM community? Follow the #BLACKandSTEM hashtag and the twitter account. Also, follow accounts that keep our community informed, such as and You can subscribe to #BLACKandSTEM lists on twitter, too (go to the page for > lists ).
Where else is #BLACKandSTEM on social media? Check out blackandstem.wordpress for blog posts and storify links to previous chats. Google 
and facebook pages are forthcoming. -Stephani
Last week, the women shared our take on being #BLACKandSTEM and Woman. And in #BLACKandSTEM and Woman news, Crazy was successful in raising funds for her show, The Fab Lab, surpassing her goal!
As a Black woman, I know that there are ways in which Black men contend with VERY different issues than Black women. As the mother of a little boy, my concerns, precautions, and (sometimes) terrors are rooted in what I know of what Black men encounter in this world. In STEM? I have been appalled at some of the stories I have heard and things I have witnessed happen to Black men. But today’s chat isn’t one in which MY voice needs to be heard.
For today’s #BLACKandSTEM chat, the Men have the space to share and be heard. To have their voices elevated and valued. Make sure you use the #BLACKandSTEM hashtag.
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