Use these ready-to-go slides to celebrate Black History Month. Explore profiles of 20 Black mathematicians, complete with resources and discussion questions.

Find ready-to-go slides for these profiles - and more! - in the Math in Action slide deck.

Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Banneker was an accomplished mathematician, urban planner, and writer in the eighteenth century. He gained fame initially for hand-building an exceptional clock, then for publishing an almanac that included weather predictions, agricultural guides, and political writings. The success of this almanac led to Banneker’s correspondence with President Jefferson, where he advocated for the abolition of slavery, and his role as a city planner designing Washington DC. 

Dr. Sylvia Bozeman

Dr. Bozeman is a retired math professor who taught at Spelman College and co-founded the EDGE program to increase equity in mathematics. She earned her PhD at Emory University in 1980.
 

Dr. Ron Buckmire

Dr. Buckmire is a math professor and Associate Dean at Occidental College who has focused his work on numerical analysis and applied mathematics. He’s also served as a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation and helped found a group of LGBTQ+ mathematicians that later became Spectra. He has been recognized as Out to Innovate’s 2011 Educator of the Year and Mathematically Gifted & Black’s 2018 Honoree.

Dr. Christine Darden

Christine Darden is a mathematician and engineer who worked at NASA for 40 years, specializing in researching sonic booms and designing quieter supersonic planes. She was the first African American woman to be promoted to the top management rank of Senior Executive Service at NASA. In 2019, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the country, for her work at NASA.

Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes

Dr. Haynes was a prominent educator, leader, and advocate for Black students. She was the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics in 1943.

Dr. Fern Hunt

Dr. Fern Hunt is a mathematician who works at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). She won the Arthur S. Flemming Award in 2000 for her contributions to “probability and stochastic modeling, mathematical biology, computational geometry, nonlinear dynamics, computer graphics, and parallel computing”. She’s also earned recognition for her leadership and mentorship in mathematics.

Katherine Johnson

You may know her as the inspiration for the hit movie Hidden Figures - Katherine Johnson was an astounding mathematician whose accomplishment in her 33-year tenure at NASA included calculating the trajectories for the Apollo 11 mission.

Dr. Torina Lewis

Dr. Lewis is the Associate Executive Director at American Mathematical Society. She earned her PhD in mathematics, focused on combinatorics, from the University of Mississippi in 2010.

Dr. Marissa Kawehi Loving

Dr. Loving is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is “the first Native Hawaiian woman to obtain a Phd in mathematics… not the first Native Hawaiian woman to develop mathematical tools to solve problems or to engage deeply in analytical exploration.” (from her website)

Dr. Reginald ‘RB’ McGee

Reginald ‘RB’ McGee is an assistant professor at College of the Holy Cross who studies computational immunobiology. He began his studies in Actuarial Science, before changing his major to Math and eventually focusing on the intersection of math and biology. 

Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes

Dr. Meyes was a famous mathematician known for her scholarship, leadership, and anti-racist advocacy. She earned her PhD in mathematics in 1966, as the fifth Black women in the U.S. to receive a math PhD. She was also the first Black faculty member at Baylor University, a college which had previously denied her entry because she was Black. 

Dr. Mohamed Omar

Dr. Mohamed Omar is an associate professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College who does research in combinatorics and algebra. He has worked to make rich math experiences more broadly accessible and to promote diversity in math, including through his youtube channel, participation in the BEAM program, and involvement in high school math competitions.

Dr. Omayra Ortega

Dr. Omayra Ortega is an assistant professor of mathematics & statistics at Sonoma State University. She blends math, statistics, and public health tools to tackle emerging health issues in a field called mathematical epidemiology. Additionally, she is committed to broadening the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM and mentoring students through the challenges of academia (from her website). 

Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

 Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a physics professor and faculty member in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of New Hampshire. She is also a writer who recently published the book The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred. (her website)

Dr. Candice Price

Candice Price is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Smith College. Her mission is to “support communities historically and systemically excluded in STEM by creating and supporting programs that increase visibility, amplify the voices of women and people of color and create networks and community in STEM to provide opportunities to share resources.” She is the co-founder of Mathematically Gifted and Black and Underrepresented Students in Topology and Algebra Research Symposium (USTARS). (from her website)

Dr. Geremías Polanco Encarnación

Dr. Polanco is an assistant professor at Smith College. He has earned a Master’s Degree in Actuarial Science and a PhD in Mathematics. 

Dr. John Urschel

Dr. John Urschel is a mathematician, a former NFL offensive lineman, and the author of Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football. After getting his Ph.D. in math from MIT in 2021, he is now an Assistant Professor at MIT Math and a Harvard Junior Fellow.

Dr. Gladys West

Dr. Gladys West is a mathematician whose work modeling the Earth was instrumental to the development of the GPS systems we still use today. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mathematics, as well as a master’s degree and PhD in public administration.

Dr. Talithia Williams

Dr. Talithia Williams a statistician and mathematician at Harvey Mudd College who cohosts the PBS series NOVA Wonders. She is famous for her popular TED Talk, "Own Your Body's Data" and for publishing the book Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics. (from her website)

Dr. Aris Winger

Dr. Aris Winger is an assistant professor of mathematics at Georgia Gwinnett College. He co-hosts the podcast Mathematically Uncensored and co-authored the book Asked and Answered: Dialogues on Advocating for Students of Color in Mathematics, both in collaboration with Dr. Pamela Harris. 

Idea for the Classroom: Build a Mathematician of the Week Routine

Continue highlighting Black mathematicians year-round! The Math in Action Slide Deck showcases these and more Black mathematicians, as well as other mathematicians who have been historically and systemically excluded from the field. 

Setting up a weekly routine can be a small way to help students encounter mathematicians of all identities, see themselves reflected in mathematics, and expand their understanding of the field. 

With 60 profiles, you're set for the whole semester or year!

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Celebrate Black History Month With Us!

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About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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