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A talent network of Black microbiologists

Nature Microbiology volume 7, page 469 (2022)Cite this article

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To the Editor — In 2020, the spotlight on issues of social justice renewed conversations about equity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). In particular, the systemic lack of representation of Black scientists across all of these disciplines was highlighted and discussed. In response to the need to advance equity in scientific communities, we founded the Black Microbiologists Association (BMA), which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization1. Part of the BMA’s mission is to ensure that Black microbiologists have access to the tools and support needed to ensure the best possible chance of career success. Here, we announce a talent network that will provide a platform for connecting with the expertise, voices and perspectives of Black microbiologists.

Networking is a commonly cited career development skill that pre- and post-doctoral trainees are encouraged to develop, regardless of their desired employment sector. However, an analysis of data from 2,397 National Institutes of Health biographical sketches submitted between 2003 and 2006 suggested that Black scientists have smaller professional networks, especially during the early parts of their careers2. Notwithstanding the increases in the number of Black PhD holders in the United States in recent years, comparative isolation in training environments and workplaces, along with a lack of visibility in the published literatures and at conferences, contributes to narratives that purport a scarcity of qualified Black microbiologists. Persistent underrepresentation among faculty and academic leadership limits Black trainees’ access to the community cultural wealth they could otherwise gain from faculty and leadership. Community cultural wealth is “an array of knowledge, skills, abilities and contacts possessed and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist macro and micro-forms of oppression”3. It is crucial to the ability of Black trainees to safely navigate the academic landscape, especially at predominantly white institutions (PWIs)4. In their study of Black science majors at PWIs in the United States, Stanton et al. report that “academically successful Black science majors create virtual and physical spaces where they can thrive despite the contexts they find themselves in. Ultimately, our participants’ success is not just for themselves; it will be shared with all the people they are connected to”4.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Chelsey C. Spriggs

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Nikea Pittman

  3. Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Ninecia R. Scott

  4. Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ, USA

    Kishana Taylor

  5. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Ariangela J. Kozik

Authors
  1. Chelsey C. Spriggs
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  2. Nikea Pittman
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  3. Ninecia R. Scott
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  4. Kishana Taylor
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  5. Ariangela J. Kozik
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ariangela J. Kozik.

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Competing interests

The authors are the founding board members of the Black Microbiologists Association.

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Spriggs, C.C., Pittman, N., Scott, N.R. et al. A talent network of Black microbiologists. Nat Microbiol 7, 469 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01085-0

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