Today, February 11 is the International Day of Women in Science! To celebrate this day, Global Citizen is highlighting five awesome black women in science you need to know about!
Do you know?
Many of the huge scientific achievements in science were made by black women. Their achievements are in various fields of science, from space travel to climate change. These are women whose names and accomplishments go unnoticed. There are many awesome black women in science. However, here are just five.
Five Pioneering Black Women in Science
- Katherine Johnson
- Wangari Muta Maathai
- Elizabeth Anionwu
- Dr. Gladys West
- Prof. Francisca Nneka Okeke
Creola Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights.
Wangarĩ Maathai was a Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights. In 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu is a British nurse, health care administrator, lecturer, and Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London.
Gladys Mae West is an American mathematician. She is known for her contributions to mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models, that were later incorporated into the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Francisca Nneka Okeke is a Nigerian physicist. She is a Professor of Physics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and first female head of a department in the University.
How much would you know about these incredible women if they stood right in front of you? Take the quiz to find out.
