The Black in X network mobilized last summer to bring attention to racism in STEM. This week, they’re holding their first conference to talk about what’s next.

In the wake of global protests against anti-Black racism last year, a movement emerged to celebrate Black scientists and fight systemic oppression in academia. Researchers in fields across science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) worldwide, but especially in the United States, rallied around social-media hashtags and attended online community events. A year later, they are celebrating all that they have accomplished with the movement now known collectively as Black in X — but also highlight the challenges they still face in fighting racism in science, including the need for more institutional support and funding.

Black scientists have been historically underrepresented in academia and science. A 2018 study of the National Center for Education Statistics found that only 6% of faculty in the USA were Black. Systemic racism and other issues that translate into a lack of diversity in research often cause unwelcoming environments for Black scientists.

In June 2020, a community of Black people in computing from around the world published an open letter,a initiated by the authors, and a call for action to the global computing community.

Tiara Moore strolled along a beach, waves crashing in the background. “Welcome to Black in Marine Science Week,” the University of Washington, Seattle, postdoc declared in a video posted to Twitter late last month. “We’re celebrating Black people in the ocean. Let’s do it!”