Diversity

DIVERSITY and EQUITY IN STEM

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The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field is widely seen as the field of the future. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections program, by 2028 STEM jobs’ employment is projected to grow by 8.8% while healthcare jobs that require STEM skills will grow higher as well. Non-STEM jobs, on the other hand will only grow by 5%. With this backdrop, it is important that all students are provided access and opportunities to receive quality STEM education. However only 8% of STEM teachers were black in 2019 and Blacks adults state that they are not welcomed in STEM professions. The article in this link below discusses possible ways to ensure that black and minority students are prepared for future STEM jobs. https://wordinblack.com/2022/11/stem-is-the-future-how-do-we-get-black-kids-involved/

Happy reading.

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Only 1% Latino and 4% Black Children Participate in High-Quality State Preschool Programs

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According to the Young Learners, Missed Opportunities: Ensuring That Black and Latino Children Have Access to High-Quality State-Funded Preschool report released on Wednesday November 6, 2019 by The Education Trust, only one percent of Latino children and four percent of black children are enrolled in high-quality state preschool programs.

None of the 25 states and Washington, D.C. included in the study, provided three and four year-old black and Latino children in state-funded preschool programs with sufficient access to high-quality programs.

“Our data is devastating. No state provides the two essential elements for a strong early start for our nation’s Black and Latino children — quality and access. Despite overwhelming research on the value of high-quality preschool, states continue to willfully neglect our youngest students of color” stated Dr. Carrie Gillispie, The  Education Trust’s senior analyst for P-12 policy.

Heather Rieman, The  Education Trust’s director of P-12 policy also stated that                “Over and over again, we see children who deserve these important learning opportunities the most are being shut out due to systemic barriers, which can have a cascading effect throughout their K-12 education and beyond. State leaders must work to ensure that, among other key learning opportunities, their states’ 3- and 4-year-old Black and Latino children have access to high-quality ECE as it provides a solid foundation for prolonged academic and personal achievement.”

Hollywood to Receive an Annual Grade on Diversity by University of Southern California

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The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported on February 2, 2015 that the Hollywood entertainment industry will receive
annual grade on diversity by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, USC, in Los Angeles.
According to Professor Stacy Smith, in charge of USC’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change project, “in 2013, there were 17 films among the top 100 grossing movies that featured not one Black or African-American speaking character. Across 600 popular films between 2007 and 2013, just two were directed by black women. Clearly, not one group or one company is solely responsible for the lack of diversity on screen or behind the camera. We need a broader look at who is doing well and who needs to step up their game.”

The Comprehensive Analysis and Report on Diversity (CARD) will explore issues of LGBT, gender, race/ethnicity representation in the content of movies, the casting of characters and in hiring. The companies who have established a diverse environment will be honored during an award program.