Psychological Factors
That Contribute to the
Dearth of Black Students
in Science, Engineering,
and Medicine
Evelynn Hammonds,
Shirley Malcom, Vivian Pinn, and
Paula Whitacre, Rapporteurs
Cato T. Laurencin, Editor
Roundtable on Black Men and
Black Women in Science,
Engineering, and Medicine
Policy and Global Affairs
Health and Medicine Division
Proceedings of a Workshop
NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and Aetna Foundation (#18-8876), Johnson & Johnson, the National Institutes of Health (HHSN263201800029I/75N98021F00006), the National Research Council President’s Circle Fund, the University of Pittsburgh, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number: 978-0-309-69285-4
International Standard Book Number: 0-309-69285-7
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/26691
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Psychological Factors That Contribute to the Dearth of Black Students in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26691.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ACTION GROUP PLANNING COMMITTEE
EVELYNN M. HAMMONDS (Co-Chair), Harvard University
SHIRLEY M. MALCOM (Co-Chair), American Association for the Advancement of Science
VIVIAN W. PINN (Co-Chair), NIH Fogarty International Center
KEVIN COKLEY, The University of Texas at Austin
MICHELLENE DAVIS, Esq., National Medical Fellowships, Inc.
GARTH N. GRAHAM, Aetna, Inc.
THOMAS VANCE, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Project Staff
MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Senior Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
LYNNETTE LUSENAKA, Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
REGINALD HAYES, Associate Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
MARQUITA WHITING, Senior Program Assistant, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
TOM ARRISON, Program Director, Policy and Global Affairs (until May 2021)
PAULA WHITACRE, Consultant Writer
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ROUNDTABLE ON BLACK MEN AND BLACK WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
CATO T. LAURENCIN (NAS/NAE/NAM) (Chair), University of Connecticut Health
OLUJIMI AJIJOLA, UCLA Medical Center
GILDA A. BARABINO (NAE/NAM), Olin College of Engineering
CHARLES R. BRIDGES, JR., Janssen Research & Development, LLC
CEDRIC BRIGHT, East Carolina University
L. D. BRITT (NAM), Eastern Virginia Medical School
ANDRÉ L. CHURCHWELL, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
THEODORE CORBIN, Drexel University
GEORGE Q. DALEY (NAM), Harvard Medical School
WAYNE FREDERICK, Howard University
PAULA T. HAMMOND (NAS/NAE/NAM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
EVELYNN M. HAMMONDS (NAM), Harvard University
LYNNE M. HOLDEN, Montefiore Medical Center
CAMARA P. JONES, Morehouse School of Medicine
CORA BAGLEY MARRETT, University of Wisconsin–Madison
VALERIE MONTGOMERY RICE (NAM), Morehouse School of Medicine
RANDALL C. MORGAN, JR., W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute
ELIZABETH O. OFILI (NAM), Morehouse School of Medicine
VIVIAN W. PINN (NAM), National Institutes of Health (Retired)
JOAN Y. REEDE (NAM), Harvard Medical School
LOUIS W. SULLIVAN (NAM), Morehouse School of Medicine
HANNAH VALANTINE (NAM), Stanford University
CLYDE W. YANCY (NAM), Northwestern University
MARK ALEXANDER (Ex Officio Member), 100 Black Men of America, Inc.
MARIE BERNARD (Ex Officio Member), National Institutes of Health
KIMBERLY BRYANT (Ex Officio Member), Black Girls CODE
IVORY DEAN (Ex Officio Member), Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
GARTH N. GRAHAM (NAM) (Ex Officio Member), Google, Inc.
IAN HENRY (Ex Officio Member), Procter & Gamble Company
ORLANDO KIRTON (Ex Officio Member), Society of Black Academic Surgeons
JOHN R. LUMPKIN (NAM) (Ex Officio Member), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
SHIRLEY MALCOM (NAS) (Ex Officio Member), American Association for the Advancement of Science
ALFRED MAYS (Ex Officio Member), Burroughs Wellcome Fund
LAMONT R. TERRELL (Ex Officio Member), GlaxoSmithKline
Project Staff
MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Senior Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
ANDRÉ PORTER, Senior Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (from June 2022)
LYNNETTE LUSENAKA, Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (until June 2022)
REGINALD HAYES, Associate Program Officer, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
MARQUITA WHITING, Senior Program Assistant, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (until September 2022)
KARLA RILEY, Senior Program Assistant, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (from September 2022)
TOM ARRISON, Program Director, Policy and Global Affairs (until May 2021)
PAULA WHITACRE, Consultant Writer
Preface
It is an honor for me to serve as chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and serve as the editor of the first in a series of proceedings publications from the Roundtable. Our work began in 2015 when leaders of the W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association Health Institute and I recognized the growing absence of Black men in medical schools. In fact, levels of Black men entering medical school reached a historic low in 2015 and 2016. Starting in 2016, and with financial support from important partners such as the Aetna Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Connecticut Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, we began planning a National Academies workshop on issues surrounding the absence of Black men in medicine. The joint workshop entitled “The Growing Absence of Black Men in Medicine and Science” took place in 2017. It was historic, in that to my knowledge it was the first National Academies activity specifically focused on issues involving Black people. The proceedings is entitled An American Crisis: The Growing Absence of Black Men in Medicine and Science. It was released in May 2018, and corresponded to a briefing on the subject of Black men and medicine with the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C. Many of the ideas that emerged from the workshop have been embraced by academia, industry, and philanthropy. More needs to be done.
Our next steps have involved the development of a more permanent presence in the National Academies to discuss issues surrounding Black men and Black women in science, engineering, and medicine. With support from
our anchor partners named above, along with the Johnson & Johnson Company, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the University of Pittsburg, and with the continued leadership and commitment from Dr. Victor Dzau, the president of the National Academy of Medicine, the Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine was launched late in 2018. I am grateful to the steering committee members for the Roundtable: Drs. L. D. Britt, Cedric M. Bright, George Q. Daley, Randall C. Morgan Jr., Elizabeth O. Ofili, Vivian W. Pinn, and Louis W. Sullivan.
In September 2021, the Roundtable organized a workshop aimed at exploring psychological factors that contribute to the dearth of Black students in science, engineering, and medicine. From the outset, the goal of the workshop was to gather ideas that might address the systemic and long-term changes needed to allow for success of Black students. The co-chairs for this workshop spent considerable time examining the continuum of systemic issues that affect Black students. The workshop began with discussing Pre-K to 12 education as a fundamental issue for Black students. How does one address foundational effects of a system often broken? Next, a discussion of changes needed at colleges and universities took place. The question was asked: How does one not only assure access and success but also promote well-being? Next, a discussion of other sectors that can influence outcomes was discussed, and finally, an ideas session took place, noting a sense of urgency in moving forward with change. The overall goal of the workshop was to explore innovative ideas that could ultimately become policies to help ensure the success and vitality of Blacks pursuing careers in science, engineering, and medicine in a world fraught with systemic pressures.
I am grateful to the co-chairs of the workshop, Dr. Evelynn M. Hammonds, Dr. Shirley M. Malcom, and Dr. Vivian W. Pinn. This was perhaps the most difficult and controversial subject that the Roundtable has tackled so far. They demonstrated a high level of intellectual expertise combined with a sense of compassion and urgency to the workshop program. This workshop provided a 360-degree view of issues surrounding psychological barriers for Blacks pursuing science, engineering, and medicine. I look forward to seeing follow-on discussions on how the ideas here can be implemented in partnership with multiple sectors, especially education. As with the Roundtable’s previous proceedings, they are meant to move us to action.
Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. (NAS/NAE/NAM)
Chair, Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
University Professor, University of Connecticut
Acknowledgments
This Proceedings of a Workshop was prepared by the workshop rapporteurs as a factual summary of what was presented and discussed at the workshop. The planning committee’s role was limited to planning and convening the workshop. The statements made are those of the rapporteurs and do not necessarily represent positions of the workshop participants as a whole, the planning committee, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. We wish to extend sincere thanks to all the members of the planning committee for their contributions in scoping, developing, and carrying out this project.
This Proceedings of a Workshop was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published proceedings as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of these proceedings: George Daley, Harvard University; Keivan Stassun, Vanderbilt University; and Clyde Yancy, Northwestern University. Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this proceedings was overseen
by Cora Marrett, University of Wisconsin–Madison (ret.). Appointed by the National Academies, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.
Contents
Organization of This Proceedings
Opening Keynote: Focusing on Strengths, Overcoming “ACES”
Importance of the Mission: Setting the Stage for Change
3 EARLY EDUCATION AS THE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS: PRE-K TO 12
The Importance of Starting Early
Involving Young Children and Their Families
Applying the Four Pillars of Mental Health
Further Reflections by Dr. Gordon and Discussion
4 HIGHER EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
Morehouse School of Medicine: Innovating Against the Odds
Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program: From Admissions to Community
University of Maryland, Baltimore County: MeyerHoff Model
Spelman College: Promoting Success and Well-Being at a Women’s College
5 BRINGING SYSTEMIC CHANGES THROUGH IMPORTANT SECTORS OF INFLUENCE
Advancing Health Equity at the Policy Level
Addressing Racism at NIH and in the Extramural Community
Research Imperatives for Systems Change
Opportunities for Health Plans
6 DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EQUITY-BASED STRATEGIES
Overcoming Persistent Barriers
7 REALITY-BASED OBSERVATIONS FROM THOSE ON THE PATHWAY
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