All month long, the Long Island Explorium has been celebrating Black History Month on their Instagram account. Here are 6 black scientists to get to know today and every day. You'll find the first African American woman to receive a medical degree, a "human computer" hired by NASA, the first African American in space, the first African American female neurosurgeon, an African American inventor, and the first African American woman to become a pilot. The Long Island Explorium is committed to continuing to highlight the numerous contributions people of color give to the STEM fields thought out the year, not just in February.
 | The first African American woman to receive a medical degree was Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler. She also wrote one of the early medical textbooks in the world, the "Book of Medical Discourses." guide for women and children.⠀ ⠀ Born in Delaware but spent much of her early years in Pennsylvania. There, her experience helped to set her on the path to medicine. Crumpler wrote, "Having been reared by a kind aunt in Pennsylvania, whose usefulness with the sick was continually sought, I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others," ⠀ ⠀ She began practicing as a nurse in 1852 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, before the profession required a specific training course. In 1860, according to the National Library of Medicine, she graduated from the New England Female Medical College, which closed down in 1873.⠀ ⠀ There are no known pictures of her but her work and words live on. ⠀ |
 | Creola Katherine Johnson (August 26, 1918-February 24, 2020) is an American mathematician hired as a human “computer” by NASA whose orbital mechanics’ calculations were crucial to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. The topic of the 2016 film “Hidden Figures.” was her accomplished life. In 1962, John Glenn requested that Johnson personally recheck calculations made by electronic computers (which were new at the time) before his mission, in which he would become the first American to orbit Earth.⠀ ⠀ From the NASA Knows (Grades K-4) series:⠀ “As a young girl, Katherine loved to count. She counted everything. She would count the number of steps she took to the road. She counted the steps into the church. She even counted the forks and plates when she washed the dishes.⠀ ⠀ Katherine loved to learn. She loved learning math the most. Katherine went through school quickly. She started high school when she was just 10 years old!⠀ ⠀ When she was 15, Katherine began college. She took classes to become a mathematician. She learned how to solve big problems by using math, especially geometry. Katherine studied hard. She graduated from college when she was 18.”⠀ |
 | Dr. Mae Jemison "Never be limited by other people's limited imagination."⠀ ⠀ In 1992, Mae Jemison boarded the Endeavour and was thrust into orbit, becoming the first African American woman in space. She didn't always set her eyes on space, however. In 1977, Jemison earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford in chemical engineering. She went to Cornell University Medical College from there and received her M.D., eventually serving as a medical officer for the Peace Corps while teaching.⠀ ⠀ Mae Jemison describes her journey from a space-loving girl in Chicago to an astronaut looking down on Chicago and thinking about her younger self.⠀ ⠀ |
 | Alexa Irene Canady, MD, was a pioneer of her time, as the first African-American woman neurosurgeon in the United States in 1981.⠀⠀ “The greatest challenge I faced in becoming a neurosurgeon was believing it was possible,” she is famously quoted.⠀ In 1984, Alexa Canady, MD, made history as the first African American woman certified as a diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Her medical career began in the early 1970s when women comprised less than 10 percent of an average medical school’s graduating class. ⠀ ⠀ While Alexa Canady was attending the University of Michigan, a health careers summer program for minority students sparked her interest in medicine. After graduating from college in 1971 with a major in zoology, Canady continued to the university’s medical school.⠀ ⠀ During her first year of medical school, Dr. Canady fell in love with the nervous system. In spite of discouragement from some of those surrounding her, she decided to pursue her passion for becoming a neurosurgeon and graduated cum laude from medical school in 1975. ⠀ ⠀ When her internship ended in 1976, Canady moved to the University of Minnesota, becoming a resident of the university’s neurosurgery department as the first female African-American neurosurgery resident in the United States. Upon completing her residency in 1981, she became the country’s first female African American neurosurgeon and specialized in pediatrics neurosurgery. Dr. Canady served as chief of neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital in Michigan from 1987 to 2001.⠀ |
 | Otis Boykin has an enduring impact on technology today as a notable inventor, most known for creating a wire precision resistor and a control unit for the pacemaker. ⠀ ⠀ His wire precision resistor, patented in 1959, would later be used in radios and televisions. Resistors slow the flow of electricity, allowing a safe amount to flow through a device. Many of his inventions made everyday electronic devices more efficient and affordable. ⠀ ⠀ Until the end of his life, he kept seeking other inventions. This included capacitors, a chemical air filter, and a cash register that was burglar-proof. But Otis Boykin’s most important invention was inspired by his mother’s death and is currently keeping many people’s hearts ticking accurately. ⠀ ⠀ In 1964, he invented a control unit for pacemakers, which maintains a steady cadence for the human heart, regulating the heartbeat. Pacemakers weren't as reliable before this.⠀ ⠀ By 1982, he had 26 patents to his name. ⠀ ⠀ |
 | Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman soared across the sky as the first African American woman to become a pilot and hold an international pilot license. ⠀ ⠀ She was born in 1892 to Texan sharecroppers, with 12 siblings. She was inspired by her brother's stories of serving in France during World War I to become a pilot. Though she applied to many American flight schools, none would accept her because she was both Black and a woman. It was at this point she was advised to go to France since they taught women. ⠀ ⠀ Coleman was accepted at the Caudron Brother's School of Aviation in Le Crotoy, France, and received her international pilot's license in June 1921 from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. ⠀ ⠀ Coleman became internationally known for her daring tricks, including loops and figure eights. She toured countries giving flight lessons, performing flight shows, and giving speeches encouraging women and African Americans to learn how to fly. She became famous for standing up for her beliefs by refusing to perform anywhere that was segregated. ⠀ ⠀ |
About the Long Island Explorium, The Long Island Explorium is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit and is chartered with the New York State Department of Education. Our vision is to be a leader in STEM discovery, learning and innovation that will shape the intellect, social values and principles of future generations Our curriculum, exhibits and educational approach are unique by design, developed to spark inventive solutions, build confidence by embracing the “fail forward” concept and foster teamwork. We are recognized as Long Island’s Family Maker Space. To learn more, visit www.longislandexplorium.org/ and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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