Blog Entries

Young Black & Fem In STEM? Tell Me More!

Published on Saturday, May 6, 2023, by Michael Hurd


As a young, Black, fem-of-center, queer scientist, I constantly code-switch to alter my most authentic version of myself to be treated more respectfully. Before even taking my first official college course, I took part in a college prep course as a part of a scholars program I was in throughout college. From then on, I experienced being minimized to my sparkling makeup, colorful nails, and ever-changing hairdos. I would often notice people communicate with me in a very informal way or take long stares at my fingernails. I would characterize the tone as playful and disingenuous. However, at times not even my most feminine appearance could distract from my natural and apparent ability to think like a real scientist.  Yet still, the might of my quick-thinking brain that earned me nearly perfect scores on tests was sometimes an afterthought to the vehicle that carried my intellect and personality. Eventually, I grew tired and tamed my external presentation. This not only happened of my own volition but also occurred naturally as I began to have less and less time to do my makeup in the morning. As this transition occurred, I noticed my intellect gained higher value. Unfortunately, I had no energy or space to cope with the fact that I felt changing my expression of myself was necessary to feel empowered and comfortable while learning. So I reluctantly conformed for comfort and ease. Throughout my higher educational experience, I was occasionally reminded of this differential treatment. Yet, I was most abruptly reminded of the feeling of injustice as I was slapped in the face by Reality while job hunting to transition into a new job after graduating. Having a degree did not shield me from being minimized because of my feminine presentation, even when it was mostly tame. When reawakened to my reality, I decided to honor my most authentic self and learn how to live comfortably in my truth while in the presence of the uncomfortable. 


Upon hearing my reflections on my experience, some might respond

“How would you know your ‘feminine’ presentation blurred the employer’s, peer's, or educator’s vision of you? Could something else have led them to do whatever you perceived as minimizing? What would it feel like to consider that they appreciated your beauty and brains?"

Now, I will concede that these well-thought retorts have crossed my mind. In addition, I agree that these various other thoughts could contribute to people's reactions to my presentation. However, it is still my belief that the driving factor behind the way people interact with me when I look very feminine is due to implicit misogynistic bias. As a person in a field dominated and created by and for people AMAB and masculine presenting folks, it is no surprise that I struggle to receive the respect I deserve. The influence of sexism and implicit gender role bias plays a crucial role in the evolution of the workforce.


To understand the connection between these two ideas and their influence on the work and educational environment, one must accept and understand the difference between sex and gender. Sex is a basic understanding of someone's identity through the differentiation of biological traits, such as genitalia, determined by the presence of X and Y chromosomes (Zavellos, 2014).  While gender is now more widely accepted as a fluid social construct personal to the feelings and experiences of the identifier related to cultural meanings attached to masculine and feminine energy.  Throughout the article, you may hear me say people are assigned female or male at birth (AFAB/AMAB). This is to acknowledge this difference not only for the sake of my commitment to align with the ethics of being a scientist (reporting with honesty and integrity) and the empathy I hold as a human who cares about acknowledging people's truths because it is a right and not a courtesy. Despite many accredited scientists making this distinction, many conflate the two; this is called cisnormativity. Cisheternormativy, as well as religion and law, are portions of what aid the reinforcement of sex roles. Sex roles are tasks or functions that are determined as being more suitable for one sex than the other based on archaic ideas of what is masculine and what is feminine (Zavellos, 2014). This concept is the basis for sexism and implicit gender role bias thriving in suppressing people AFAB in the work and educational environment, especially in male-dominated spaces.


For many years women were not allowed to enter the scientific community. Unfortunately, women weren't seen in significant numbers until the 20th century. It wasn't until 1947 that we saw the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Why is this? In many countries, the way in which economic growth for people AFAB and people AMAB spurred over time relied on the basis of sexism. During the end of the Colonial era (1700-1760), women were designated as 'homemakers while men were labeled as 'bread-winners.'' In essence, people AFAB did everything related to maintaining the family space. While people AMAB participated in the task that contributed to the construction of society by earning an education, engaging in politics, and doing tradesmen work. During this time in history, colonizers conquered land, people, and culture by stripping away what was deemed useless and replacing it with what was most 'white' 'Eurocentric' 'right.' Colonialism brought many things to 'the New World,' but Christianity is among the most talked about.  Many early believers interpreted the text literally and failed to use critical thinking to think and analyze the text. As scientists, we are educated on researching objective data to make hypotheses about other curiosities: peer-reviewed, current, citations, etc. The early believers of Christianity failed to do this type of analysis to the degree that would have folks pause to think about the validity and relevance of the text to their society. This is likely because they found comfort in the privilege they were given at the expense of the oppression of others. Many of these texts set a precedent for asserting a possessive power over women, normalizing them to be viewed as objects valued only for their functionality. One example of this religious text includes the following: 

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” 

— Timothy 2:12

It is understandable how early society members would willfully submit their autonomy to think for themselves and rely on a higher power for guidance. Higher powers have been a source of great importance throughout history and have shaped the thinking of historical leaders. This quote asserts the devaluing of women through Christian texts by employing powerful diction. The use of definitive jargon such as 'permit' and 'remain' allude to the omnipotent power of the author of the text. In addition, the author notes women as unworthy of being in leadership. This speaks to the patriarchy as the backbone of the religion, giving men a megaphone and women no room to be heard. Some may argue that many interpretations of the Bible skew far from the original text. Others might refute that modern-day Christians may have different beliefs due to how we have evolved to be encouraged to view religious texts more critically. Yet, it is still true that generations of people stood firm in those beliefs and made many decisions that had devastating effects on women's history. Not to mention, we live in a country that protects one's right to freedom of religion, making it hard to prevent people — especially those in positions of power —  from being influenced by their beliefs. 


Fast forward to the industrial revolution, and we witness women being integrated into the workforce to help their families pay for the cost of living. Although women were incorporated into the workforce, gender stereotypes followed them in factories. Women were often in factories in which they manufactured garments, food, and tobacco products. Clothing and food were women's primary responsibilities in the colonial era, so participating in creating these products in mass was not much of a chain. Well, other than the fact that the conditions were much more unsafe. After some time, women became fed up with managers not creating more fair work conditions. Some returned to farm work, moved west, or married (Thomas, 1979). Women continued to be discriminated against on the basis of their gender by virtue of being limited to factory jobs where they produced products that alluded to their presumed primary function as a homemaker. On top of this, they were working in unsafe conditions and being paid less than their counterparts. This era is one of the earliest moments in history in which we see a gender pay wage gap start to develop.


Throughout the 1900s, women progress from clerks, teachers, and factory workers to politicians and scientists through the help of women's rights movements (Kap, 2020). 

 Looking at the historical events in women's social movement history in the 1900s, it is evident how gender roles affected women's social movements. Many acts were passed to protect women's rights in the workplace and empower them to feel comfortable in the employment journey — before, during, and after employment. These acts include but are not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Clark, 2023). However, there aren't many clear laws that protect people's external appearance that is not tied to another protection (e.g., religion). Yet, one modern-day called the CROWN  protects people from being discriminated against in the workplace for their hairstyle(s). It would be remiss of me not to mention how these early moments of liberation and progress initially benefited white women. It should be known that Jim Crow Laws and other legal boundaries precluded BIPOC women from initially benefiting from these laws.


Generally, these laws defend against what is known as explicit gender role bias. What is explicit gender role bias, you ask? Well, explicit gender role bias is an outwardly apparent articulation and conscious awareness of one's gender bias having an influence in determining if a person is suitable for a task, experience, or position. In contrast, implicit gender role bias is the subtle automatic articulation and unconscious influence of gender stereotypes being used to determine if a person is suitable for a task, experience, or position. This type of bias can be more difficult to prove unless a pattern of behavior is developed. Many studies have examined this type of bias through different experiments. A 2012 double-blind study found that both male and female educators at universities notably known for their research programs found fictitious male applicants significantly more competent than female applicants (Moss-Racusin, 2012).  Here the only known characteristic about the candidates besides their professional experience was their gender. This bias is made more evident through the 2022 Harvard Business Review. They reported that people AFAB earned a little under 1/5 less than people AMAB (Williams, 2015).  Many studies have shown this significant gap persists when other contributing factors such as education, age, and previous work experience are considered as well. As a result of this bias, people AFAB have been blocked from entering science with equal opportunity as their counterparts and prevented from being appropriately compensated for their talents. In modern-day times the way in which a candidate's gender is presented externally may also serve as a deterrent for employers due to their lack of faith in the candidate to meet their expectations.


Sex and gender have played a prominent role in domesticating and pigeon-holding people AFAB to be deemed inferior to people AMAB in the workplace. During the colonial era, we see how misogyny places women in a supporting role and focuses their value on the functionality of their genitalia. While during the industrial revolution, people AFAB are forced to take on a prominent role in the economy by working in factories. Yet, we see the persistence of sex roles as we compare and contrast the types of goods each sex was manufacturing in factories. Lastly, as we enter modern-day times, we see people AFAB continuing to be oppressed by observing a decrease in hiring and pay rates. Years of socialization can not be undone overnight, and the master house can not be dismantled using their tools. Therefore, we as a society must not only learn to recognize and address our bias but also use new head-on active strategies to approach creating equitable systems. That being said, this website seeks to demonstrate the personal impact that these forms of bias have had on my life to validate the research studies further. In addition, my intention is to educate those who are unaware and uplift not only people AFAB affected by gender bias but other marginalized groups being affected by different biases as well. To stand firm in my intention, I named my website Young, Black, & Fem In STEM to assert my pride in overcoming the barriers I have faced in my personal and professional life as a young, Black, feminine person. These identities not only pose challenges themselves in a cisnormative, Eurocentric, ageist society but even more so within their intersectionality. Although many people may perceive assimilation as the master tool in dismantling systems as such, where presumptions are primary tools of oppression, I view it as a way to win the battle but not the war. It should be noted that the war is not male against female but rather the community against the aggressive conformity culture of the system. So why not dare to be different, to be the most unapologetic and authentic version of your true self? In the word of one of my favorite queer icons, James Baldwin, 

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

As I mentioned previously, changing systems and reforming ones that work in favor of our society and not individuals is not a small feat. However, facing systemic challenges head-on with the confidence and audacity to be authentic in a world where conformity is rewarded is a powerful tool in the toolbelt of a true leader. It is my deepest hope that regardless of the consequences — material and non-material —  I inspire others to do the same. With this, I acknowledge how my privileges (a full scholarship for my college education, the ability to take on volunteer opportunities due to certain financial privileges, being an abled body person from an external viewpoint, etc.) have provided space for me to feel comfortable to express myself so unapologetically.

Take It Easy: Easy Pose

Written by Michael Faye Hurd

Published on March 08, 2024, at 11:25 AM 


The pose of the week is called easy pose. In Sanskrit, the 'easy pose' is pronounced Su-khaa-su-nuh — sukhānasna (Tummee 2024). Many poses in yoga create space for one to discover the depth and breadth of their practice by understanding how their balance and breath articulate the health of that chakra. Easy pose yields the floor for one to revisit their faith in their voice of intuition and gift of discernment. Thus to no surprise, it aligns with the Anja chakra, the third eye. The third eye occupies the space between the eyebrows and is often referenced when closing a class or sequence.


To channel this chakra you can use the mantra 'om'. Experts report 'om' as the sacred sound that is all-encompassing of what is in the universe, hence how this chakra links to divine wisdom (Allard 2020). Sukhānasna is a pose of ease and comfort that allows you to focus on breathing. One breathing technique available to use is box breathing: 1) Inhale for a count of 4-6 seconds. 2) Hold the breath for 4-6 seconds. 3) Exhale for 4-6 seconds. 4) Hold the breath for 4-6 seconds. 

Hurd, Michael Embracing the Anja Chakra Through Box Breathing Diagram, March 08, 2024.

Many professionals in high-stress industries will utilize this breathing technique to regulate their nervous system when they sense themselves going into flight or fight mode. The first hold allows for CO2 to build in the bloodstream and therefore increases the cardio-inhibitory response of the vagus nerve when you exhale and stimulates your parasympathetic system. To maximize these benefits of diaphragmatic breathing you must inhale until you feel a contraction in your stomach muscles, a slight constriction in your heart chakra, and a complete release on exhalation (Gotter, 2023). As you breathe in this fashion imagine a bright violet beam of light tracing out a box in your mind as you breathe. On your last breath imagine the box of light beaming towards your third eye. Let this light illuminate your appreciation for your joy and sensitivity and guide you toward speaking your truth.


 Balanced

    easily embraces challenges      

thinks creatively about problem-solving


Unbalance

anxious about the future

 hyper-vigilant of others' intentions

limiting beliefs


Overactive 

 latching onto negative narratives

 frequent headaches

recurrent nightmares


Affirmations: 

I see all things with clarity. 

I am a divine spirit with divine timing in decision-making. 

I can manifest my vision.


Movement Instructions Into Easy Pose

There are several ways to enter this pose which include the following:


Method 1 From Downward Dog 

downward dog > inhale 3-legged dog > exhale half pigeon >  inhale bend the other leg behind in a similar fashion > exhale into an easy pose

1) Elevate your R/L leg towards the sky.

2) Sweep your R/L foot towards your L/R wrist.

3) Sweep your R/L foot toward your opposite (L/R) wrist and drop your R/L shin to the mat.

4) Glide your other knee behind your ground foot and take your other foot behind your ground knee.


Method 2 From Staff Pose

staff pose > inhale your R/L foot towards the inside of the opposite thigh (L/R), exhale > inhale the other leg in a similar fashion > exhale into an easy pose

1) Surrender to staff pose.

2) Place your R/L foot towards the inside of the opposite thigh (L/R) and tuck your foot underneath your thigh.

3) Place your R/L foot towards the inside of the opposite thigh (L/R) and tuck your foot underneath your thigh.

Modifications

2. Place one block underneath each knee to lift knees above hip height, ease tension in hip flexors, and embrace your core to continue to lengthen the spine.

Music Offering :

Consider meditating to Easy by DaniLeigh.

Citations