Maydianne Andrade’s Post

The First Black Woman To Earn A Degree In Astrophysics At University Of Wisconsin-Madison Launches New Company We love to see Black women make historic achievements! Forbes previously reported that Black Americans represented only 3% in the physics field and 2% in astronomy. And Astrophysicist Miona Short happens to be among those Black individuals who are not truly represented in the STEM field. Use the link below to read the full article https://buff.ly/441lilG ---------------------------------- Engage Transform exists to disrupt the Exec Search space and to challenge the bias in the recruitment industry. If you are frustrated with recruiters that claim they cannot find high calibre diverse talent, don't hesitate to contact us; info@engagetransform.co.uk, visit our website www.engagetransform.co.uk. We are here to support you. #equity, #inspiration, #engagetransform, #blackandbrilliant, #diversityandinclusion, #womenintech #colourintech #recruitment#biasdisruptors #jobs

If you missed our annual event in March-24, you can catch up with the recordings. Our Guest Speaker Elizabeth Gibney spoke about How UK science is failing Black researchers. Watch here 👉 : https://lnkd.in/eX-VSSPi Less than 1% of UK professors are Black, despite people of Black heritage making up 4% of the UK working age population. This talk is data-driven dive into when and where the UK academic system loses scientists from all marginalized ethnicities, with some ideas on what can be done about it. This is based on data collected for Nature Portfolio’s 2022 news feature How UK science is failing Black researchers — in nine stark charts. Read the news feature: https://lnkd.in/eyTpnghF "Relatively few students from lower socio-economic backgrounds know that PhDs exist and that they are often funded" #BlackInSTEM #DiversityInSTEM #EquityInSTEM #InclusionInSTEM

Science and academia may seem impervious to the realities of human prejudice, but this is not true. A very sad and stark reality from a scientist still facing discrimination and challenges due to the colour of their skin. I read it and feel sad that for all our guardian reading liberalist values in science, it is still A struggle for those not in the club! Let’s do better . Recent events hounding senior academics of colour makes it unrealistic to expect change soon. One poignant piece below: “The scientific challenges I encounter are nowhere near as discouraging as the systemic racism I’ve encountered in academia. I’ve had supposed colleagues critique my efforts within the first 30 seconds of meeting me, talk around and over me, push my name down the author list for no justifiable reason, and tell me I only earned awards because I’m Black.” #scientists #scientificresearch #prejudice #racialequity #equalityforall #highereducation #seniorleadership #sciencejobs #letsdobetter

And another question, Brown University…why are you still using the term “minority”? The following statement was located on the Third World History at Brown webpage - https://lnkd.in/e__hafmh “The concept of "Third World" has special meaning for minority students at Brown.” First…. Referring to BlPOC as racial and ethnic “minorities” subordinates the group and confers pathology and/or disadvantage to non-White identities. Terms like “racially minoritized” or “racially oppressed” more accurately highlights the policies, practices and processes of structural racism that BIPOC have experienced historically and contemporarily. A great deal of my work and personal self-discovery are grounded in dismantling racism, especially insidious internalized oppression, such as self-identifying oneself as “minority” or “Third World”. As such, my insight generally runs deeper than nameplate, performative or post-George Floyd DEI initiatives. Understanding what seems like evolving knowledge at times is an insatiable quest of mine and sometimes results in me being a disruptor. Second…. In the mid 1970s, Brown University BlPOC students renamed themselves “Third World” students as an effort to mobilize together and follow the words of Franz Fanon’s “Third Way,” a cultural model of empowerment and self-definition. While Fanon urged people to come together against oppression and colonialism and forge a “Third Way,” (alternative to the First World (US and Europe) and to the Second World (former USSR and Eastern Europe)), as a critical theorist and if alive today, he may even self-criticize the very foundation of his supposition, an article published by a French “First World” anthropologist who espoused to the demographic superiority of Europe. If I was a betting woman, I would guess that both Fanon and the trail blazing Brown University BlPOC students would be more than open to consider a language change to “Third World”, especially after everything that we have learned, and may ask us, what took y’all so long? Third…. I Am Not Your Negro I Am Not Your Minority I Am Not Your Third World

It is often more than more than money alone causing the haemorrhaging of Black talent out of vital industries. Networks play a huge role in who gets accepted, or who even hears about available opportunities for work and grants. It is great to see Royal Society supporting the careers of Black researchers from an earlier starting point. Offering new grants to help talented people able to follow their chosen path, rather than fall victim to an opportunity bias, or socioeconomic factors. I would like to see more institutions doing similar work. The money is of course important, but it is the access to networks, to meeting people and being able to get in front of and talk about their research that really builds the kind of connections that might not guarantee every job but will open up far more possibilities. What action could you take in your business to open your networks to those just starting their career journey. And more importantly if your network isn’t very diverse, it might be time to think more deeply about why that is. https://lnkd.in/eZsTxZNH

Thrilled to share that I recently presented my research poster at The 14th Annual Lemon Project Symposium at William & Mary! 🍋 Delving into "Racial Experiences and Multi-Dimensional Racial Identity (MIDI) amongst “new” African Americans," it was an incredible opportunity to present alongside esteemed researchers and participate in thought-provoking discussions. Grateful for the chance to share my findings and contribute to such a vibrant academic community. #Research #PosterPresentation #TheLemonProjectSymposium"