Diversity in the Chemistry Curriculum

Recently, I was reading an article about my favorite singer, Chaka Khan reflecting on the longevity of her career and offering some candid advice about being successful. (In my previous life, I truly believe that I sang backup for Chaka, but in this current life I can’t sing at all, but I digress.) Anyway, there was one statement in this article that really stood out to me, namely “create opportunities that align with your purpose.” Now, the Queen of Funk Soul was not talking about bringing diversity into the chemistry curriculum, but it made me think about some of my own passions, specifically writing about the contributions African Americans have made to the chemical sciences. Personally, I grew tired of not seeing pictures or reading about the contributions of chemists that looked like me in chemistry textbooks, so I just started writing about these scientists to tell their stories. But how could I bring this into the classroom? How could I bring diversity into the chemistry curriculum?

I’m currently teaching an inorganic chemistry course with 27 students and having fun with these young scientists. In the first chapter of the textbook for the class, the authors give a nice historical overview of how the field of inorganic chemistry developed into the remarkable discipline it is today. Of course they discuss the contributions of key pioneers such as Mendeleev, Bohr, Schrӧdinger, Werner, and Heisenberg, but they also briefly discuss how the Manhattan Project really helped create a renewed interest in the field. In order to engage the students, I asked them to tell me the significance of these pioneers and tell me what they learned about the Manhattan Project. One student responded that the Manhattan Project lead to the development of the atomic bomb, which ended World War II.  I then took the opportunity to briefly tell the students about two African American chemists, namely Harold Delaney and Edwin Russell Roberts that worked on the Manhattan Project. I told the students that I linked two articles about Delaney and Roberts on the webpage for the course and if they were interested, they could learn more about them. I didn’t tell the students that I wrote the articles or that I planned to give a two point bonus question on the first exam about their significance.

On the morning of the first exam, I walked into the classroom and overheard two students talking about Delaney and Roberts. They actually read my articles! And, almost 50% of the students answered the bonus question on the exam. I am pleased about these results because these young people now know the contributions of Delaney and Roberts. Since this worked out reasonably well, I posted a link to an editorial that I authored entitled “African Americans and Science,” which was published in Chemical and Engineering News. I did this really to celebrate the beginning of Black History Month, but I told the students I would be interested in learning what they think about the editorial. I can’t wait to get some feedback from them. But, like my idol, Chaka Khan, I have created opportunities that align with my purpose. And yes, I am truly proud to be an inorganic chemist!

Sibrina