Black Women in STEM: The Need for Intersectional Supports in Professional Conference Spaces

National discourse about STEM careers has dominated conversations about the need to meet the demands of the labor market. The ever increasing population diversity requires the participation of underrepresented groups, including women and individuals from racially minoritized backgrounds. However, for those at the intersections of historical and persistent marginality, such as Black female students, access to STEM majors, programs, and careers are particularly limited. This article uses observations, four student focus groups, document analysis, and survey data from a Black science conference to understand the experiences of Black women student attendees. Through an intersectional lens, we find that professional conferences can better serve Black female student participants by considering their nuanced experiences, barriers, and contributions to the field.

We thank the National Science Foundation for supporting the conference and data collection used in this project.