Did Black Panther make you wish you worked in Wakanda? Their technology is out of this world, men and women are treated as equals, and melanin flows everywhere you go! Unfortunately, that’s not our reality and our workforce is very far from looking like their utopia. At WakandaCon, Sistas in STEM hosted a STEM panel, “Working in Wakanda: Embracing Gender Equality in STEM”. The panelists took a deep dive into the issues they’ve faced throughout their STEM careers and discussed ways we can change this culture together.
The event was moderated by the founder of Sistas in STEM, Brittany A. J. Miriki, and she was joined on stage by four STEM leaders of different industries. Afenya Montgomery, Keisha Howard, Jamila Parham, and George Powell, each brought their own flair to the panel as they discussed the topics at hand.
[Watch full video here]
Whether you’ve realized it or not, the state of gender inequality has always been present around you. For Keisha Howard, her grandmother taught her what it meant to be a Black woman at a young age. She was told to “get a job and keep your head down”. Her family didn’t want her to pursue her interest in the arts out of fear that she wouldn’t make any money. “Her vision for me was to work in an office for some white man and climb the corporate ladder. I never thought of myself with significant value for a long time. My grandmother meant no harm – she wanted to keep me safe, but I didn’t have a sense of my own value or power until I was like 27. That’s when I did Sugar Gamers and I fell into entrepreneurship completely by accident. Being an entrepreneur teaches you your own value.”
The group discussed instances where their own mentality hindered them from advancing in their careers. Not going after the promotion because they were conditioned to believe they’re unqualified. Afenya Montgomery told the crowd, “it’s not always coming from other communities; as women and people of color we’re downplaying ourselves sometimes. It’s our own insecurities, lack of confidence, and lack of support of each other.”
Each of the panelists have their own entrepreneurial projects that they use to empower others in the STEM space. They’ve felt tasked with not only educating and uplifting themselves, but also those in the community. “There may be a [Black] Elon Musk out there, and we just don’t know it. That’s the power of social media. He or she may be missing the resources, and that’s where we come in as Wakandans to build this up. You’ve got the idea, so let’s go ahead and do it,” said Jamila Parham.
The panel encouraged the audience to remember that they are in control of their own narrative. George Powell explained, “that’s one of our big issues – we allow other sources to control OUR narrative. We’re always going outside of our community [for information] and wanting to get advice. When all of the information… is in our own communities.” It can be difficult navigating the STEM space alone which makes it imperative that you connect with these platforms, such as Sistas in STEM, built to support you.
Brittany concluded the panel with a special announcement on the upcoming SIS event celebrating women of color in STEM. “As we all know it’s very uncommon to find a woman of color in STEM, so we want to bring them all together, but not for your typical, stuffy professional event.” On Sunday, September 16th at 12pm in Downtown Chicago we’ll be hosting the unCommon Denominators Brunch. You can set aside the professional barriers and truly embrace who you are. Come to eat, make a few friends, and dance it out! You can buy tickets and learn more information at SistasinSTEM.org/unCommon.
Hear more of the panel’s stories and advice in the full length video on the Sistas in STEM YouTube. Like & Subscribe!
This isn’t the first time we’ve been inspired by Black Panther, check out one of our very first articles, “Black Panther Shows How Powerful Sistas in STEM Can Be!”
Speaker Information:
- Brittany A.J. Miriki is a Mechanical Engineer with a vision to bring the voices of women of color in STEM to the forefront. As the founder and editor-in-chief of Sistas in STEM, she shares stories, advice, and resources from women all over. While she strives to make an impact through SIS, she continues to grow in her career as an engineering consultant. Social Media: @BrittanyAJoy
- Entrepreneur, Futurist, Video Game Enthusiast. Solution oriented as it pertains to diversity and inclusion, Keisha Howard founded Sugar Gamers, an advocacy organization for the underserved within the tech industry (specifically within Video Games and Geek Culture). Keisha uses the skills and the contacts she’s made through Sugar Gamers to empower the community through organizing events, public speaking, and mentorship. Website: www.gokeisha.com Social media: @SugarGamer
- Afenya Montgomery is a RN, Entrepreneur, Speaker and founder of The iCAN Collective. The iCAN Collective connects diverse entrepreneurs to resources that allow them to create, launch and scale viable businesses. Afenya has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing and MBA with a focus on executive leadership. Website: afenyamontgomery.com
- Affectionately known as, The Tech Unicorn, Jamila Parham is a tech leader and public servant on a mission to uplift, provide access and create opportunities for women and minorities. She advocates on behalf of under-represented, under-served and under-valued communities to address the lack of diversity in STEM. The Tech Unicorn™ is a platform created to empower those who feel as if they are hidden figures and ‘unicorns’ in STEM. Website: jamilaparham.com
- George Powell has technology and product experience from major blue-chip companies such as Aon, IBM, 3M, Walgreens, and Humana. An entrepreneur at heart, George founded Easy Beauty in 2014 in conjunction with the development powerhouse Productive Edge. With the independent beauty & grooming professional in mind, Easy Beauty is a new technology platform designed to simplify the purchasing and booking process for the beauty professional. Website: easybeautypro.com
