Exploring the Role of Juneteenth in the STEM Field and the Challenges Faced by Black Scientists
Key Highlights :
The history of racism and discrimination within the scientific and medical communities have long been a source of mistrust for the Black community. This has been especially true since Juneteenth, the annual holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Despite the progress that has been made, Black scientists still face a multitude of barriers and challenges in their fields. Dr. Antentor Hinton Jr., an assistant professor of molecular physiology and biophysics at Vanderbilt University, is one of 52 Black scientists who wrote an article in Cell, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, on the role of Juneteenth in the science field and the barriers and challenges Black scientists face.
When Hinton was growing up in Asheville, North Carolina, he didn't know he could become a scientist. It wasn't until the sudden death of his best childhood friend, Cameron Underwood, that Hinton decided to pursue a career in research. After Underwood died from neuroblastoma, a maladapted tumor, Hinton wanted to find a way to design drugs that could help. He was mentored by Dr. E. Dale Abel, an endocrinologist who showed him that a Black man "could head his own division and be excellent." Hinson went on to get his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine.
In addition to his research, Hinton focuses on raising awareness around diversity in science. He spoke with CBS News about struggles faced by Black scientists, including lack of recognition for awards and disparities in funding rates, and the history of racism in science and research. Hinton believes that incorporating Black scientists into research is important because, “now scientists don't include ethnicity as a factor in their research.” He also believes that by including Black scientists in research, it would “lead to a lot of clinical benefits” and “show that Black scientists do exist and that we are doing excellent things.”
Hinton acknowledges that the Black community has had a “mistrustful – and complicated – relationship with the medical and scientific communities” due to a history of studies using Black bodies without permission. He believes that in order to build trust, Black scientists need to be recruited from the community and hospitals need to work with community leaders. He also believes that Black scientists need to be celebrated for their accomplishments in order to show that they are capable of “excellent things.”
Hinton believes that by having Black scientists in the field, it will lead to a more diverse approach to research and will lead to better outcomes. He also believes that it is important to have different voices heard in order to ensure that science is approached in a thoughtful and different way.
Dr. Antentor Hinton Jr. is one of many Black scientists who are fighting to make a difference in the STEM field and break down the barriers and challenges that Black scientists face. Through his work, he is helping to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for Black scientists and to ensure that their voices are heard.
