Blackstock, a pre-med computer sciencesconcentrator, says she believes this might bebecause most students associate the organizationwith only physical and engineering sciences ratherthan science as a whole, including the morepopular biological sciences.
A Small Community
HSBSE's table tents are raising awareness ofblack scientists throughout the general Harvardcommunity, but the students interviewed for thisarticle still expressed concern about Harvard'ssmall black science community.
Brian M. Lawrence, a fourth-year Ph.D.candidate in the chemistry department of theGraduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS),understands the experience of being the only blackperson in a department. He has lived it for thepast four years.
"Being the only black person, I feel like I donot have a community in my department," he says."And often, faculty tend to latch on to peoplethat remind them of themselves."
Although Lawrence says he feels alone in hisdepartment at times, he gives significant creditto his advisor, Emery Professor of OrganicChemistry Elias J. Corey, for his continuingencouragement. "E.J. Corey has been a supportiveadvisor and I've learned a lot from him," Lawrencesays. "This is what I came here to do."
Nicky Sheats, a Ph.D. candidate in the Earthand Planetary Sciences Department of GSAS, is oneof only two black graduate students in hisdepartment. He says he "really feels the lack ofminority students" in his department.
"I took all my science classes at City Collegeof New York, which was majority minorities, and Ialways had a friend to work with," Sheats says."Here at Harvard, there are very few minorities.It would be nice to talk to other black studentsabout their experiences studying here."
Although Sheats says he feels comfortable inhis department, due in part to the support fromhis advisor, who is also a minority member, Sheatsalso said that other students are sometimesshocked to see him at Harvard.
"People are surprised to see me here,especially when I attend conferences," he says."Other students have more doubts about me becauseI am a black person."
Black students say this perception can pushthem to work harder.
"Being a black woman in the engineeringsciences makes me more determined to stick withit," King says. "I have an obligation to myselfand to other black people to do well."
Barron also says she feels pressure to be moresuccessful in her studies because of such societalmisconceptions. "I have to be more responsible andwork harder because as a black student, I feellike people who have not had much exposure toblack students think I represent the blackcommunity," she says. "So I make sure that I set ahigh standard."
Although students expressed concern about thefuture of black people in the Harvard sciences,most remain extremely optimistic.
Many say that the way to increase the blackscience population is to raise the number and thevisibility of black role models in the sciences.Harvard students say they see themselves playingsuch roles.
"It is my job to educate the other blackstudents coming behind me," Barron says. "I don'twant them to have to go through the same strugglesas I did. I want them to know somebody is makingit easier for them and that I care about theirsuccess."
Lawrence adds, "I hope that there are studentsout there that actually care about what I'm doingand want to pursue a career in science. My adviceto them is to stick with it. All it takes is hardwork, and if you want something bad enough, you'lldo what it takes to get it."