Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science

Although The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science was published 25 years ago, it still remains a heavily requested report.

Until its publication, as the report of a conference held in December 1975, little attention had been paid to issues affecting African American, American Indian and Latino women in science, engineering, mathematics and biomedicine. As interesting as the story of the conference and report is the story of the women who participated in the meeting. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, then a newly minted physics Ph.D. from MIT, has served as Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is now President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Audrey Manley eventually became Acting Surgeon General of the United States and is now President of Spelman College. Each woman brought her own story to the conference has created amazing new stories.

What We Don't Know

A new report from AAAS outlines research priorities to enhance participation by minorities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce. This report is based on the results of a study group meeting convened in September 2000 to examine the analysis of over 150 research efforts related to choice of college majors, retention in STEM college majors, academic mentoring at pre - college and higher education levels, and pursuit of a STEM doctorate. The publication, In Pursuit of a Diverse Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Recommended Research Priorities to Enhance Participation by Underrepresented Minorities, is available from AAAS or online.

For more than a quarter of a century AAAS has been a leader in science, technology and disability. This leadership role was acknowledged when AAAS received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in December 2001. Virginia Stern, long time director of the Project on Science, Technology and Disability, accepted the award for the project on behalf of AAAS. The award recognizes work over the history of the Project, and especially notes Entry Point! for its pathbreaking work to guide talented college and graduate students with disabilities to employment in industry or government or to further study, a goal realized for over 90 per cent of Entry Point! participants.