Racism, Loneliness, and the Way Forward: Being #BlackinNature in 2020
With Black scientists sharing snippets of their lives and experiences with racism on Twitter, three Black environmental scientists delve deeper and share their stories
Photo by Retha Ferguson from Pexels
The racist harassment of Black birder Christian Cooper by White woman Amy Cooper brought into stark relief the very real threats that Black nature lovers and scientists face simply by existing in outdoor spaces. As a result, hashtags such as #BlackinNature began trending on Twitter as Black scientists and nature lovers shared their photos and stories.
The killing of Black man George Floyd three days later by a White police officer further compounded feelings of anger and frustration, and has led to a bold influx of stories online from Black people in academia who have faced discrimination, harassment, and bullying as a result of their existence in these spaces using hashtags such as #BlackintheIvory.
Here, three Black environmental scientists discuss their experiences with racism, how social media can play a role in challenging stereotypes, and changes that must be made in academia for more Black people to enter, and remain in, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields.
Kaylee Arnold - disease ecologist
“My mom is a teacher, so during the summers growing up, she would take me and my siblings to the San Diego Zoo, local aquariums, and the beach”, these early experiences ignited Kaylee’s love of wildlife, and made her originally aim to pursue a career as a wildlife veterinarian, but this soon changed.
“During college I was introduced to ecology and research and then I decided that I wanted to become a research scientist instead.” Kaylee is now a disease ecologist, who studies “how human disturbances, like deforestation, impact the risk of disease in humans and wildlife”.
Using social media for science
Kaylee uses Twitter to find and amplify opportunities in her field, as roles in science can be particularly difficult to find (which is why Step(h) into Nature now has its own Nature Jobs Board!).
“I took a few years off from school after I finished my undergraduate degree, and when looking for jobs at the time I found it to be very difficult to find research opportunities, especially opportunities that were paid. Ecology and wildlife biology are notorious for having unpaid internships and short-term field technician jobs, and STEM fields in general oftentimes hires internally.’
“When I became active on Twitter, and discovered ‘Science Twitter’, which just refers to the many scientists on Twitter, I started seeing more paid internships, fellowships, and job opportunities. Academia and science overall is not an open book. If you don't have a strong network of scientists, it's hard to find many opportunities.”
“For people who want to go to graduate school, if you don't have parents or close mentors who are PhD holders, it's hard to know how to apply to graduate school, where to apply, the finances of it all (you don't have to pay for your STEM PhD), and what requirements are needed.”
Being Black in science
“One main challenge I face regularly, is not having many other Black peers in my classes or work spaces. I'm often one of the only Black people (sometimes the only Black person) everywhere I go that is involved with my work in STEM.”
“With this, I'm not only faced with regular microaggressions or hostile social environments, but I then have to face them alone. And I'm much less likely to speak up if I'm alone.”
“We are often told our experiences are invalid, because White people didn't experience them, and told that we're too difficult to work with if we bring up such issues. Another big issue, that I've had to face is being told I'm just a diversity hire. When entering an academic department (or any professional space) that mostly consists of White people, all eyes are on you immediately, and I've been told multiple times that my presence is only because I am Black and the department needed to be less White. It's hard to stay motivated and it's impossible to feel included when others have those opinions.”
getting more black people in Science
Kaylee’s experiences are appalling and, unfortunately, common. As long as the current environment in academia continues, science will continue to haemorrhage talent. Kaylee believes that improving science outreach efforts is key to encouraging more Black people into science;
“This work needs to be much more than just hosting science days or visiting affluent K12 schools. Science outreach needs to be more active in the audiences they are trying to target. Do your science outreach programs cost money to attend? Are these events only in predominately White neighbourhoods? Are you only visiting affluent and predominately White classrooms? Are you asking people and kids to travel to you?”
“We need to visit underserved schools and neighbourhoods and communities and bring our science directly to Black people. Access to science is not equal. And this is something organisations, universities, and other institutions can help fix right now.”
#BlackinNature and #Blackbirdersweek
Kaylee and other Black scientists set up the hastag #BlackinNature as part of #BlackBirdersWeek, an awareness-raising effort on Twitter to highlight Black people working in environmental science fields, particularly those studying birds. The hashtag #BlackinNature was used on day one to encourage Black users to share images of them outdoors to challenge stereotypes, “it was incredible. There were thousands of Black people from all over the world, both scientists and non-scientists, who were sharing pictures of being Black in nature. Representation is so important. For ourselves, and for the world.”
“#BlackBirdersWeek was created in response to discussion amongst our group about the racism we've experienced while simply being Black outside. We started this to amplify our voices and let the world know what we face on a regular basis, but to also amplify our beauty and existence as Black people. You would never know by watching nature documentaries, movies, tv shows, etc., but there are a lot of Black people who work outside and love the outdoors.”
What’s next for kaylee
“Once I finish my PhD in a few years, I hope to be a career research scientist. I'm still deciding on what sector I want to enter, but I think I would be very happy at a government agency, such as the Smithsonian or USGS (US Geological survey).”
Alex Troutman - wildlife biologist
Alex’s passion for nature began as a kid through fishing and even mowing the lawn, “growing up watching Jeff Corwin and Steve Irwin, I saw what they did and I always wanted to do that, but I had never seen anybody like me doing that, the only person that was Black that worked with animals that I knew was a vet. I didn't even see my first Black zookeeper until I started working at a zoo after college, so growing up… I thought I would be a vet.”
This changed when Alex started college and discovered a dark side to veterinary medicine, “vets have a high suicide rate because of the animals they have to put down”. This led him to change his course, “I then took a field ornithology class as part of my major and that class just really opened up that yes, I want to work in the outside world, I want to do fieldwork, so that started me into the ecology field.”
Using Social media for black representation in science
Social media has become a vital tool for the representation of minorities in different fields of work. Alex highlights the work that he and other Black scientists do outdoors with hashtags: #BlackinWildlife, #BlackinSTEM, #BlackScientistsMatter, #BlackBirdersWeek, and #BlackAFinSTEM. He’s been using these to “raise visibility of Black people in the STEM field. To promote Black people in nature in general, I’ve been using hashtags like #BlackOutdoors, #OutdoorAfro”.
Alex also had a tweet, originally just created for his family and friends, get over 200 shares and 2000 likes;
Being black in science
This kind of representation matters, “when i was working in Wisconsin, I went to a weigh station and, they immediately said ‘oh, are you maintenance?’ and I was like no, actually, I’m one of the biologists… I had a full governmental uniform on for a federal scientific agency but the highest level that they thought I could be or presumed that I would be was maintenance.”
“Yes, I am a scientist, I may not be White, I may not wear a lab coat, I might not wear glasses, but I am a scientist, despite all of these things that I don’t wear or I don’t fit the mould for, I am a scientist.”
Alex finds that often his expertise won’t be believed until he has stated that he is a wildlife biologist, “we face the challenges of people invalidating the information that we have.”
Alex also explains that he is expected to be ‘the encyclopedia for all things Black, especially if we are the only Black person at an organisation or agency. We are individually unique and we don’t speak for all Black people.”
“We shouldn’t have to always be the go-to person to ask for diversity [advice], we know more things and we have experienced more things, not just being in diverse areas… There are tons of papers and research out there about diversity and inclusion, you shouldn’t just come to your one or few Black employees to see their perspective on diversity all the time.”
Organisations can address diversity and inclusion inappropriately, “sometimes it’s put as ‘oh, we have this Black person so they should go speak, they should be the forefront for this project if its dealing with other minorities’.”
“While that is great and representation definitely matters, you shouldn’t always just push it on a Black person to go speak to other Black people… because you’re trying to say 'hey look! We have a Black person that works for us too!’ you should ask them if they would like to speak.”
“A lot of the jobs and positions that I work or have applied for are in towns with a lower population of Black people, some have very few if any,” which can get lonely, “you can be surrounded by people, but sometimes you definitely need to be able to hear and talk with other people who look like you, who understand what you’re going through… especially in times like this with George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery, some people can sympathise with you but they don’t really truly understand what you’re feeling.”
getting more black people in Science
Alex emphasises the need for companies to involve Black employees in decision-making, “Let us sit at the table,” Alex says, “many times, when we are brought on board to different companies and agencies, we’re in the same room but we're still looking in from outside the circle, we’re not at the table, so scoot over and let us have a seat! There’s enough room for everybody.”
“Another way to get Black people in the STEM field, it might seem trivial but its not, let us wear our natural hair! We shouldn’t have to straighten, or if we have dreds we shouldn’t have to cut them.”
“Other people can wear natural hair without any problems, we should be able to wear our natural hair. Some people say oh it’s unkept, or the design is too attention-drawing, but dreds and hair designs are a part of our culture, so let us be able to freely express our culture.”
“Make opportunities and experiences available and affordable for everyone, not just people who are financially able.” Alex adds, “many people, like me, are first gen college students, first gen wildlife workers, and many of the internships or experiences are either unpaid, underpaid, or they want you to pay for these volunteer experiences.”
“You shouldn’t have to do that if you want to work in this career field, so instead of underpaying, actually offer some support knowing that many of us are first generational or come from lower and middle class or below income levels, offer that support for us.”
Challenges as a Black person in Science
“#BlackinNature came about during preparations for #BlackBirdersWeek, and Black Birders Week came about after the incidents with Ahmad Arbery and Christian Cooper, where in both of those cases they were outside doing normal things like running, jogging, and birding, which so many others that are not Black are able to do [without fear].”
“So these hashtags were created because we were upset, and we all have shared experiences of racism while we have been Black in the outdoors, and we wanted to amplify Black birders and other Black outdoor people to let them know that we are here, and we want our experiences to be acknowledged by out non-Black counterparts.”
“We're hoping by using #BlackinNature and #BlackBirdersWeek that we’ll be able to create space and visibility for Black people who want to sit, walk, go birding, fish, and otherwise enjoy these outdoor activities but have been afraid to or prevented from doing so by systematic barriers, like racism.”
“We want to get rid of the narrative that Black people are not interested in environmental issues and natural spaces. Actually, we are very interested in these issues but most have been afraid or discouraged from enjoying or speaking about these issues because of anti-Blackness in these environmental hobbies and disciplines that we enjoy.”
“People should not be discriminated against while enjoying these activities, they shouldn’t feel the need to have to wear bright colouring so you are seen as less of a threat when running, or you shouldn’t need to have to go in a group to go birding when you’re going into a predominantly White area.”
what’s next for alex
After his Masters, Alex aims to return to wildlife biology, “I wish to use my role as a wildlife biologist to create and open up space for other Black and Brown people and people with lower economic statuses.”
Alex aims to do this by creating a non-profit foundation to help others get into the sciences, “I would like to create space where they can enjoy outdoors, they can come learn and experience the outdoors and feel safe about doing it… We can hook them up with resources or put them in touch with other minority, underrepresented scientists in the field.”
“Like I said, growing up I didn’t have anybody who looked like me, and even now there are a lot of us in the scientific field, and thankfully we have Instagram and Facebook so we can get the word out that there are others that look like you. But there are still not many of us on TV or that own conservation agencies or non-profits, so there is definitely still work to be done and my hope is that through this foundation, those things can happen.”
Armand Cann - Ecologist
“I was always playing outside by myself or with friends in the dirt, pulling up grass, digging around finding critters to just speculate at.” Like Alex, Armand was also particularly inspired as a kid by TV shows, “like the Discovery Channel, Steve Irwin, Jeff Corwin, The Magic School Bus with Miss Frizzle, all of those had a humungous impact on my curiosity for the natural and scientific world.”
“I started out as a someone who wanted to go into medicine eventually, so as pre-med I was switching between a few different majors at the time; natural sciences, think i thought of physics even”, but a course heavily focused on environmental issues soon changed Armand’s path.
“That class really made me think about the issues of the world and what is most important objectively, or at least to me. The reason why I wanted to be a doctor was to make an impact, but I couldn’t rationalise past the fact that… saving human lives by itself isn’t going to save the human species if we don’t have a planet to live on, and so I changed my directions after that to focus more on the ecological sciences. I fell in love with studying wildlife.”
Black in stem social media
Armand rarely utilised social media until recently, “since joining this group, Black AF in STEM, I’ve definitely come into an environment where everyone encourages everyone else to be very proud of who they are, what they are, what they do, and openly show the world that.”
“Before, I knew the value of it, I just didn’t do it myself, I was perhaps too anxious. But more recently I’ve just been engaging more people on social media platforms… I’m not shy about sharing my face or my experiences, or I’m trying not to be, and just getting it out there that I’m proud to be who and what I am; a Black person in STEM, and show how much I enjoy it, and unapologetically, I think thats probably the most important.”
Armand has also been “amplifying all of the lovely people that I do work with, and even those that I’ve never met, and reading those stories, making sure that those get out as well.”
Challenges of being Black in stem
“One challenge is simply just being the single person of your identity, being the single Black person amongst possibly 20 people in your program that identifies as Black, that comes as a challenge. Not because you necessarily are getting made fun of or anything like that, but you do feel like there is some amount of untalked about issue, not only within your group but just within academia itself.”
“You’re one Black person out of 20, does that equate to the proportion of the population? No. It’s very skewed against Black people. Why is that?” Armand states that there are “very, very deep-rooted historical socio-economic issues that face the Black community that have led to this, and when you are the only one, you kind of want to talk about that with your peers, but you know it also in some ways makes many other people uncomfortable.”
“I really enjoy talking about these things, but a few members, they would absolutely refuse to ever engage you in any social discussion, and its always in the back of your mind, makes you think woah, this isn’t, to me, a political issue, I wonder what about this is so disturbing to them, when they’re definitely not affected to the same degree as I am. So that’s always been a huge bother to me, and maybe I’m even underestimating how much that did bother me.”
“Socially, I grew up in a fairly predominantly Black neighbourhood, a lot of my friends were Black back in the day, and then you go into a setting where you don’t have that mixture at all, so in some ways you do feel alone.”
“It would be nice not to always be, or feel like, the tokenised person in the group for your own ethnicity, and that goes for my grad program, that goes for conferences that I’ve been to, and also just the jobs that I’ve had in my field of ecology.”
Getting more black people in stem
Armand cites lack of exposure to relatable role models as a reason for their being an underrepresentation of Black people in STEM, “as well as the complications with the historical oppression and lacking initiative of the United States government to correct a lot of those wrongs that they’ve bestowed on both the Black and Indigenous communities of this country, which has led to very low socio-economic conditions for both. And I think that prevents a lot of people within those groups rising out of those conditions and then into the world which is of STEM.”
“Of course, everyone can be a scientist or a person in technology, engineering, and math, everyone, I believe, has that capability, but unfortunately a lot of the economic barriers that hinder those communities, I think, prevents Black people from going into the field.”
“One, it has sometimes a stereotype, especially my field of ecology, of not being a very high paid field, so if you are raised in a more impoverished community, you don’t really have a lot of incentive to go into a field, whether you like it or not, that doesn’t necessarily pay well.”
“In fact, if you look at a lot of the internships and volunteer programs throughout the country and world, many of them in the country are very low paying, and then if you wanted to have an international internship doing ecological work, many times you have to pay.”
“When it comes to people that identify as Black in this country considering those programs, I know for myself I never would have been able to afford international jobs like that where i have to pay to go there, so when you have many of those jobs that are advertising themselves as purely just experience without any economic compensation that is a huge deterrent I think, especially for a community that historically may not have the financial means to go into those.”
“Improve the educational system. I think a lot of predominantly Black schools are lacking the necessary resources to devote to their students to get them engaged in STEM topics.”
“Improving after-school programs for those communities, improving nutritional programs as well, taking the burden off their parents… a lot of those communities may be suffering financially and when your parents are suffering financially they can’t invest enough time into your own education.”
Armand also suggests increasing “exposure of Black professionals in STEM fields to those children in school to make it known that there are others like them that generally find these subjects interesting. I know for me I wasn’t aware of a single Black ecologist when i was in grade school or high school or college even, and I think that would’ve been much more beneficial.”
Armand states that this type of exposure can help give young Black people the encouragement needed to pursue a career in STEM and to let them know that they won’t be the odd one out all the time, “to see others that were in that, I would feel less of a black sheep within my field, and I think those factors would help.”
According to Armand, the aim of the #BlackinNature is “to illustrate to the world, including all Black people, that it is not an oddity to see Black people out in nature.
“Many of the people in the group [Black AF in STEM], including myself, have either experienced first hand or heard second hand of interactions like Christian Cooper’s, when you’re outside and people treat you as if that is a space that you should not be in, and this can be super subtle microaggressions to very overt demonstrations of prejudice, like what Christian Cooper experienced.”
“#BlackinNature is a happy celebration of showing Black bodies outside taking up space to show that we belong there as equally as everyone else does.”
“No one owns the outdoors, it’s a space that everyone can take part in, that is a space that should be free of any type of thought of ownership by any group, with the exclusion of Native American communities, which I believe had all of this land stolen from them.”
Armand says that hashtags like #BlackinNature help with increasing exposure of Black people in nature, such as scientists, to younger Black people. “Unfortunately, in the last five years, I’ve been the only Black person in all the jobs and graduate programs I’ve been involved with; however, when we put this on the internet, it really increases the exposure.”
“It’s hopefully giving more and more people encouragement to consider becoming a nature enthusiast themselves, or not to feel ashamed for who they are and what they do.”
“This is a space that we belong in, and its not something that should have a built-in misconception that you see a Black person in nature, we’re up to no good.”
What’s next for Armand
Armand has known for years that he wants to be a Professor, but having completed his Masters, his path may have changed, “I enjoy teaching and I love doing research in ecology… however, after this Masters degree and getting a deeper understanding of what it means to be in academia with all of its challenges, especially for Black people who may be the only ones in their program, I’ve begun to consider other options.”
Armand has other goals for the future, “just to make an impact and encourage others to get involved with their local ecology, understanding their environment, understanding human impacts with the environment and how they affect the landscape, and how the landscape affects them, as well, I think if I were to be able to achieve that and get my local communities, wherever I am in the world, to have a greater appreciation for the natural world around them, to treat it in anyway better than they did yesterday, that would be a huge achievement.”
Resources and further reading for white academics
Anti-racist education resources for schools (The Educational Institute of Scotland)
4 Ways That Scientists And Academics Can Effectively Combat Racism (Forbes)
Deepen your understanding of anti-Black racism, so you can step up and end it (Shut Down STEM)
How does anti-Black racism show up in academia? (Shut Down STEM)
Resources for Anti-Racism and Social Justice in the Mathematical Sciences (The Aperiodical)
Resources for black academics
Where to donate
If you have or know of more appropriate resources, then please share in the comments below.