Black History Month and STEM

A recent Google blog spoke about the company’s celebration of Black History Month. I love the fact that they partner with historically Black colleges and universities, partly to move their recruitment efforts along. In this still entrenched economic climate, I’m sure that means a lot to graduates to have opportunities to work for one of the best companies around.

In particular, too, I love their build up of the STEM curricula for students: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. At its essence, for example, technology enables us to do things we otherwise cannot do. From traveling to places, to watching an infinity of programs, to making friends around the globe. Some students, perhaps even teachers, question the value of learning mathematics, when the formulas, problems and calculations they labor through may prove useless in life. At least that’s what they wonder.

To wit, the following image is from a friend on Facebook:

(image credit)

In fact, mathematics underlies many of the simple things we do everyday life. From telling time, to handling money, to baking a cake. At a deeper level, it’s an indispensable companion to science, in the human endeavor to learn more about our physical world, for example.

The US has a shameful blotch in its history, concerning its treatment of Blacks. While its present day culture still harbors racial tensions, it’s come a long way over decades to promote greater harmony among people from all walks of life. Google, of course, being one of those promoters.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD