by
PBS LearningMedia Team
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Helping your students see the possibilities of careers in STEM fields means providing them with diverse role models. Black History Month offers teachersmore opportunities to feature the contributions of Black scientists, engineers and mathematicians in the context of their science instruction. We have made a list of some Black scientists, engineers, inventors and mathematicians who have and are currently making major contributions to society, along with media resources to help you bring their work — and stories — into your classroom.
A great place to start is with the The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers, an Emmy-nominated web-series from the acclaimed PBS series, NOVA. The Diversity in STEM sub-collection of this collection profiles some of today’s leading scientists — showing students that science engages men and women of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
1860s – January 5, 1943
Field: Botanist, Inventor, Teacher
Known for: Born into slavery, George Washington Carver became a foremost botanist, inventor and teacher. He invented over 300 uses for the peanut and developed methods to prevent soil depletion. He was made a member British Royal Society of Arts — a rare honor for an American – and advised prominent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and President Teddy Roosevelt on agriculture and nutrition.
Resource: George Washington Carver | Scientist, Inventor, and Teacher | Video for Grades 3-7
1899 – 1975
Field: Civil Rights Activist, Medical Professional, Scientist, Chemist, Academic
Known for: Percy Julian was a research chemist and pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants, such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills. He was inducted into the National Academy of the Sciences, National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the American Chemical Society for his lasting work.
Resource: Barriers for Back Scientists | Lesson Plans for Grades 6-12
October 17, 1956 –
Field: Engineer, Physician, NASA Astronaut
Known for: American engineer, physician, and NASA astronaut, Mae Carol Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
Resource: The Secret Life of Scientists &Engineers | Mae Jemison | Video for Grades 6-12
August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020
Field: Mathematician
Known for: Katherine Johnson is best known for her major contributions to the United States' aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers. Her work was recently recognized and featured in the movie Hidden Figures.
Resource: Katherine Johnson | NASA Computer | Video for Grades 4-12
1933 –
Field: Astronaut, Sculptor, Aeronautical Engineer, Author, former Test Pilot
Known for: Ed Dwight is America’s first Black astronaut candidate. In 2024, at the age of 90, he finally made his way up to space, 60 years after he completed a U.S. Air Force training program from which NASA selected astronauts. Before training to become an astronaut, Ed Dwight earned a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Arizona State University.
Resource:Ed Dwight, America’s First Black Astronaut Candidate | Chasing the Moon | Video for Grades 9-12
1986 –
Field: Researcher, Assistant Professor, Immunologist, Microbiologist
Known for: In 2014, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett started working as a viral immunologist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2020, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett was part of the team at the NIH that developed the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine — the first to enter clinical trials in the United States. Her previous work includes working as a biological sciences trainer at the NIH and studying human antibody responses to dengue virus in Sri Lankan children at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Learn more about Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett’s work on the development of the Moderna mRNA vaccine in the resource below.
1958 –
Field: Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator, Actor
Known for: Receiver of the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and numerous other prestigious awards, Neil deGrasse Tyson has shared his love for astrophysics and scientific literacy with the public since 1986. Dr. Tyson’s love for astrophysics started at the age of nine when he visited the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. 29 years after that fateful visit, he became the Hayden Planetarium’s youngest director.
Resource:The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers | Neil deGrasse Tyson | Video for Grades 6-12
1949 –
Field: Inventor, Aerospace Engineer, Entrepreneur
Known for: Lonnie Johnson was trained as a nuclear engineer and worked as a research engineer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U.S. Air Force as the head of the Space Nuclear Power Safety Section at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory. After leaving the Air Force, Johnson worked as a systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on the Galileo mission.
Not only did Johnson work for the U.S. Air Force and NASA, he also invented the Super Soaker water gun and Nerf gun. The Super Soaker was an offshoot from his work developing a new kind of energy efficient heat pump.
Resource:Scientist Profile: Engineer | Video for Grades 3-5
1930 –
Field: Mathematician
Known for: Born and raised in Virginia, Gladys West leveraged her mathematical and programming expertise to invent an accurate model of the Earth which was used as the foundation for the creation of the Global Positioning System (GPS). She was the second Black woman ever to be employed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame —one of the highest honors awarded by the Air Force.
Profile:Gladys West
April 23, 1933 – June 25, 2011
Field: Computer Scientist, Mathematician, Rocket Scientist
Known for: Annie Easley worked at NASA as a “human computer,” performing complex mathematical calculations before computers were widely available. As more computers took over calculations, Easley became an adept computer programmer and helped develop and implement code for numerous projects, including some of the earliest alternative energy solutions.
Resource:Biography: Annie Easley, Computer Scientist, from NASA
