African American Scientists

Happy (belated) Juneteenth! Science and culture are hand in hand, because it is through conversations that great ideas stimulate. It is in conversations and storytelling that lessons are reapplied and modified. For Juneteenth I’ve curated a list of scientists that have made significant scientific advancments.

The scientist chosen had great impact on scientific advancements but are not often discussed. African American contribution to science is not just within the formal realms of science, but also in non-traditional perspectives of science. Home science that we are unaware is chemistry or biology is our first introduction to excelling in science daily, these are some scientists who bring recognition to that.

Percy Julian

His pioneering research led to treatment of glaucoma. Julian published one of the most important papers at Depauw on the synthesis of Eserine, to this day many derivatives are formed from Eserine. The derivatives of steroids that Julian discovered are treatments for Arthitis and other medications that promoted healthy living. He was a professor at Fisk University, West Virginia State College, and Howard University; mentoring many future Chemists.

Annie Easley

Annie Easly began her career as a human computer. Easly did computations for researchers that included her analyzing problems and doing them by hand. She was an adept computer programmer practicing a variety of computer languages. Easly implemented and developed code that is used for energy-conversion systems and analyzing alternative power technology. Easly worked as an educator in school and in the community helping people study for literacy tests so that they can vote.

Charles Turner

Charles Turner started a research program that researched animal behavior. Turner published over 70 papers on the topics of comparitive brain anatomy in invertebrates and birds. He was the first African American to receive a degree from the University of Cincinatti and a PhD from the University of Chicago. Turner did research on Honey Bee color vision and and social behavior, at a time when there was an uncertainty if Bee’s could see color. He completed extensive research about social organization, division of labor, and collective intelligence.

Hazel Johnson

Hazel Johnson is the mother of the environmental justice unit. She connected the air pollutants, water pollutants, and land pollutants that had a negative impact on the environment. She was from a polluted area of New Orleans and moved to Chicago with her Husband and was immediately involved in housing segregation. The neighborhood she lived in had large numbers of people with lung cancer from environmental pollutants. She learned of the pollutants harming her environment such as landfills, chemical incinerators, and sewage treatment facilities.

Alma Hayden

Alma Hayden had a master’s degree in Chemistry from Howard University. Alma Hayden became well versed in chemical analysis techniques such as paper chromatography and spectrophotometry. She went on to become one of the first black scientists of the FDA, helping modernize the agencies scientific techniques. Alma assisted with ensuring drugs were safe and with her intensive studies in techniques for identifying steroids and barbituates.

References:

https://irp.nih.gov/blog/post/2023/02/celebrating-black-scientists-contributions-to-irp-research

https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-history-exhibits/alma-levant-haydens-contributions-regulatory-science

https://www.nasa.gov/history/annie-easley-computer-scientist/