Theorizing Blackness in STEM From a Multidimensional Perspective: Centering Black Knowledge in STEM Education

• In Event: Black epiSTEMologies: A Multidimensional-Multiplicative Approach to Examining Blackness in STEM

Abstract

Critical scholars in STEM education persistently advocate for creating and implementing policies and practices that address the pervasiveness of anti-Blackness in undergraduate STEM spaces to promote racial equity (Authors, 2022, 2023; McGee, 2020). Achieving these goals necessitates that we understand Black undergraduates’ needs and ideas about racial equity. Motivated, in part, by the lack of attention to the complexity of Blackness in STEM education research and praxis, our team desired to examine and nuance the field’s conceptions and treatments of what it means to be Black in STEM. In this paper, we will illuminate our team’s approach to theorizing Blackness in STEM from a multidimensional perspective.

There were several conceptual considerations for this endeavor. This includes an exploration of 1) race as internally constructed social identity and externally ascribed social hierarchy serving as the basis for racial oppression and 2) the heterogeneity in Black people’s racialized experience and intersectional identities. We examine students’ ethnic and pan-ethnic identity (e.g., African American, Nigerian, Afro-Arab, Panamanian, West Indian, Melanesian), geographic location and/or place-based identity (e.g., Deep South, Southern California, London), and immigration and/or generational statuses (e.g., international student, 2nd generation in the US), as well as other social identities (e.g., gender, class, sexuality). We also considered the intersections of race, Blackness, and STEM through discussions of 1) STEM as opportunity hoarding and/or prestigious spaces; 2) the influence of campus climate (i.e., a historically white institution vs. historically Black college or university); and 3) Black STEM identity.

We draw upon frameworks of Blackness in and outside of educational research (e.g., Black Studies, psychology, sociology) to inform our approach to theorizing Blackness in STEM. This includes work related to the African Diaspora (Hamilton, 2007), white supremacy (Mills, 2014), anti-Blackness and the afterlife of slavery (McKittrick, 2014), and epistemic violence (Dotson, 2011). We also draw upon theories of Black identity development and performance (Hall, 1993; McPherson & Shelby, 2004) and Black STEM identity development (Authors, 2019), among others.

In this presentation, we discuss our team’s approach to theorizing Blackness in STEM from a multidimensional perspective. Specifically, we unpack the iterative processes team members engaged in to develop more critical and nuanced understandings of Blackness. We draw upon data generated from our team meetings (e.g., Zoom meeting recordings/transcripts, meeting notes); a syllabus with weekly assigned readings curated by team members with expertise in theoretical frameworks of Blackness and qualitative methodologies; team members’ reflections; and discussion prompts. We will share analysis of key moments to provide examples of how we further developed our understandings of race, racism, identity, etc. Ultimately, this work led to the development of a more comprehensive definition that attends to the complexity of Blackness in STEM. This work highlights the importance of engaging in interdisciplinary theory-building that centers Black knowledge and knowledge production and offers insights into how scholars might engage in theorizing Blackness as we seek to broaden our understandings of what it means to be Black in the U.S. and across the Diaspora.

Authors

• Tia C. Madkins, University of Texas at Austin

• Yasmiyn Irizarry, University of Texas at Austin

• Chandel Burgess, University of Texas at Austin