American Scientist

To the Editors:

An interesting column in your March–April issue about black embryologist E. E. Just (Ethics, “The Forgotten Father of Epigenetics”) opens with the observation that today “blacks make up only 5 percent of the science and engineering workforce even though they make up 13 percent of the US population.” That 13 percent figure, however, is not appropriate for this comparison. In 2009, 5.9 percent of all students enrolled in science and engineering graduate programs were black according to the National Science Foundation. Note that the number represents enrollment, not graduation, thus the 5 percent employment rate of U.S. blacks in science and engineering, if that number is accurate, is a very high and successful achievement rate for blacks choosing these careers.

It does indeed seem to be that racial prejudice prevented the talented Dr. Just from finding full-time academic appointment beyond Howard University. That said, now it’s 100 years later, and although there are still regions of exception in the United States, what I see is that Americans are prejudiced against high-school dropouts, drug dealers, illegitimate parents, and violent gang members of all races. As we all know, blacks who are academically inclined can expect preferential admissions to America’s institutions of higher learning to compensate for past misdeeds, which has been the case for several decades.

If we are to provide assistance today to black (and Hispanic and Native American) children who do not come from a family tradition of education and who drop out of high school and college (although the actual number of white dropouts is higher, if not their percentages) then the discussion needs to ratchet up.

In 2012, the National Vital Statistics Report indicated that 72 percent of black children today are born out of wedlock. Let’s start there.

Ingrid Eisenstadter
New York, NY

Editor-in-Chief Jamie Vernon replies:

The article about black embryologist E. E. Just in the March–April issue was intended to emphasize the importance of diversity to scientific research. The body of evidence supporting the benefits of diverse perspectives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is robust and growing. Studies have shown that ethnic diversity in the academic environment contributes to not only richer educational experiences but also better performance where innovation and creativity are valued. A 2014 study conducted by Harvard researchers Richard Freeman and Wei Huang that looked at 2.5 million scientific papers written between 1985 and 2008 demonstrates that papers authored by diverse groups receive more citations and have higher impact factors than papers written by people from the same ethnic group. According to data from the National Science Foundation Division of Science Resources Statistics, in 2008, 78.6 percent of faculty with science, engineering, and health doctorates were identified as white. That same year 46 percent of science papers analyzed were published by authors with only Anglo last names. It seems that the STEM community has much to gain from aggressively recruiting minorities into the workforce.

Innumerable hypotheses have been proposed to rationalize the underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM, but there is little evidence to connect out-of-wedlock childbirths to reduced interest in pursuing higher education, as Ms. Eisenstadter suggests. A study by Rice University found that 90 percent of “African Americans are most likely to value a post-secondary education.” According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, from 2001 to 2011—a period when African American children were born to single-parent households at rates exceeding 60 percent—the proportion of black males enrolled in college increased by 108.5 percent. At a similar time (2003–2008), the number of African Americans receiving doctorates in STEM fields increased only 24.5 percent, and the number of African Americans holding STEM faculty positions stood at a staggeringly low 3.8 percent. These data suggest that, despite growing interest in pursuing higher education, barriers exist to prevent African Americans from obtaining access to and succeeding in large numbers in STEM fields.

According to Stephen Klineber, Rice professor of sociology and author of the above-mentioned study, “The educational disparities have much more to do with resources and income inequalities than with any presumed differences in aspirations or values.” With properly targeted assistance, the STEM community can harness these aspirations to create an innovative scientific workforce, while opening doors of opportunity to many who dream of following in the footsteps of Dr. Just.