From black holes to black history

Q: Since this is Black History Month, and since you mentioned that concept that it doesn’t matter where you were born, I’ve got to note that you must be one of the most prominent black astronomers, or indeed black scientists, in the world. Can you reflect on how that has figured into your personal approach to science, and how you’ve been received by the scientific community?

A: I’m happy to say that in this, the 21st century, we have highly visible black leaders in many different branches of our culture, beyond entertainers and athletes. There’s enough of that that I’m happy to report that whatever people may be thinking when they see me, my skin color no longer draws comment.

Ten years ago, it would. There might be comments that people would utter in an attempt to sound complimentary — they would say, “Oh, you’re so articulate” — implying that others they’ve spoken to were not. Of course, I’m college-educated, so there’s no other way I can be but what a person might call articulate.

Or they would say, “Oh, I want you to come and speak to these black children.” It might be a white person making this request, without thinking that actually the people who hold opportunities in society are predominantly white. So if you want to open opportunities, maybe it’s the white people who should see what I’m doing — as much as, if not more than people in the black community, who see me anyway when I’m on TV. I’m not invisible, I’m there.

Also, 10 years ago, there would be taxis that wouldn’t pick me up in the street. But that’s basically not true anymore. Back then, it was one in five taxis that would pass me by – empty taxis that were ready for a fare. Nowadays that number might be one in 50. It still happens, but it’s rare. It’s rare enough to chalk it up as “maybe they just missed me.”

Q: Obviously, when it comes to the science itself, there’s no skin color attached to that at all.

A: That’s correct. Now, there’s science, and then there’s the politics of science. … I don’t mean to denigrate what is a very important and fundamental part of modern society, the role of politics in decision-making. But when politics shows up in science, in almost every case, it gets in the way. It is a barrier between where you are and where you want to take your experiment. To the extent that it’s a barrier, it can show an ugly head, and express itself in the form of sexism, racism, creedism. And this can affect employment opportunities, salaries, office space, this sort of thing.

Now for what it’s worth, I’m happy to say that from what I know of the business world, the politics of science is demonstrably less in its magnitude, in terms of how much you have to think about it to conduct your everyday affairs. In other words, if you work in an office or in a cubicle, and you ask, “Between now and the end of the day, how much politics will I have to engage in?” In the science world, whatever that answer might be, it would be a fraction of what it would be in the business world. That’s just a fact.

So I think we’ve made great strides. Back when I got my Ph.D., there weren’t many more than maybe 10 black astrophysicists. Now that number is in the mid-30s, rapidly approaching 40. Of course, there are four times as many total astrophysicists, so we haven’t lost ground proportionally, which is a backhanded way of saying that we’re not making things worse. And there’s the hope that we can make it better.

When I think of who and what I am … I’m an American, I eat hot dogs, I’m a male in society. I did male things growing up, I was on the wrestling team. These are things that shape who and what you are in society. I’m also a scientist. That’s a fundamental part of how I think about the world, and how I make decisions within the world. Then I go out in society, and I see that a security guard follows me as I go through the department store, and I’m reminded that, oh, I’m also a black scientist — because that’s how society sees me.

Q: That’s interesting that the reminders don’t come in the lab so much.

A: That’s correct. They come when I step outside, and a person crosses the street at night rather than passing me on the sidewalk. Now, all these things I’m describing to you were common 10 years ago or earlier, and decidedly less common today. So while many will complain about the status of race relations, I have direct, empirical evidence that it is vastly better today than it was 10 years ago — and my worst stories don’t compare to those which my parents could tell when they were growing up.

MORE FROM SPACE

Space Section Front

Month in space: Powerful pictures Astronauts land with families on their minds Cosmic Log: Signs of Mars life? ... and more Powerful laser simulates stellar jet Solar tsunamis are real, NASA says Rocket man fails to fly from Morocco to Spain Is case finally closed on 1965 UFO mystery? Space telescope to probe sun’s atmosphere Space agencies argue over delayed launch Cosmic Log: Play the galactic slots Space Section Front   Add Space headlines to your news reader: