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Patricia bath-by National Library of Medicine-

Breaking Barriers:15 Famous Black Women Scientists

Science is a system that makes amazing discoveries using objective, empirical evidence, but the ways in which we assign and record those findings are far from objective. The contributions, or attributed contributions, of white males, have traditionally been valued in everything from history textbooks to scientific journals. Others have purposefully been misrepresented or left out, particularly the achievements of Black scientists and Black female scientists. Every February, Black History Month may come and go, but the contributions of Black women ought to be honored every day of the year. Black women have contributed significantly to the advancement of American culture throughout history in every sphere, including politics, medicine, and athletics.

Many prominent Black women scientists, such as Dr. Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in Chemistry in the United States, and Alice Ball, who developed the finest leprosy cure of the 20th century at the age of 23, are prime examples of trailblazers in science. Today’s Black female scientists are breaking down boundaries and improving society by following in the footsteps of these powerful women. In honor of Black History Month, we are showcasing the achievements of 15 remarkable Black women in science who shattered barriers, opened doors for future generations of women of color, and left a lasting impression on contemporary culture.

Read also; Top 20 Most Famous Black Scientists

Famous Black Women in Medicine

1. Angella D. Ferguson

Pediatrician Angella Dorothea Ferguson was born in Washington, D.C., on February 15, 1925. She attended Howard University where she completed both her undergraduate studies in chemistry and her medical training. Ferguson was a doctor most recognized for her groundbreaking studies on sickle cell anemia. She understood that infants of color were more likely than infants of other races to experience this illness. She created a blood test for sickle cell anemia as a result of these studies, allowing medical professionals to detect the condition at an early stage.

2. Alexa Irene Canady

Alexa Canady-by Unknown author-

Pediatric neurosurgery is the area of expertise of retired American physician Dr. Alexa Irene Canady (born November 7, 1950). Canady made history as the first black woman neurosurgeon which was succeeded by the first female neurosurgeon in the United States Ruth Kerr Jakoby. Up until her retirement, she served as the chief of neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital in Michigan. Canady won the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Award in 1993 in addition to being inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989. Among her peers, she was regarded as a surgeon who put the needs of her patients first and genuinely cared about each one.

3. Rebecca Cole

Rebecca J Cole-by Unknown author-

Rebecca J. Cole was an American physician, organization creator, and social reformer who lived from March 16, 1846, until August 14, 1922. She succeeded Rebecca Lee Crumpler, who had graduated from medical school three years earlier, as the second African-American woman to practice medicine in the country in 1867. She encountered racial and gender-based challenges throughout her life as she pursued her medical studies in institutions administered exclusively by women and led by the first generation of female doctors to graduate. Cole is renowned for her numerous contributions to social change and medicine. She was a fervent advocate for abolitionism and women’s rights. She helped co-found the Women’s Directory, one of the first organizations in the country completely focused on assisting women.

4. Patricia Bath

Patricia Era Bath, an American ophthalmologist, innovator, philanthropist, and academic, was born on November 4, 1942, and she passed away on May 30, 2019. She created a more effective laser cataract surgery tool for which she obtained a patent, the Laserphaco Probe, in 1986. She also became the first woman to supervise a post-graduate ophthalmology training program, a member of the Jules Stein Eye Institute, and a member of the honorary staff of the UCLA Medical Center.

Bath was the first African-American to work at New York University as an ophthalmology resident. She was also the first woman of African descent to work as a surgeon on staff at the UCLA Medical Center. Bath was the first doctor of African descent to be granted a patent for a medical device. In addition to holding five patents, she established the non-profit American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in Washington, D.C.

Read more on; 50 Famous Black Women in Medicine you Should Know About

Famous Black Female Chemist

5. Alice Ball

Alice Augusta Ball-by Unknown author-

The “Ball Method,” the most successful therapy for leprosy in the early 20th century, was created by American scientist Alice Augusta Ball, who was born on July 25, 1892, and died on December 31, 1916. She was the first woman and the first African American to get a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii. She was also the first female and the first African American professor of chemistry at the institution. Though posthumously, Alice Ball’s contributions were acknowledged. February 29th was designated as “Alice Ball Day” by Marie Hirono, who was then the lieutenant governor of Hawaii.

Famous Black Female Mathematicians

6. Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson, an American mathematician who worked for NASA  was born on August 26, 1918, and died on February 24, 2020. Her calculations on orbital mechanics were essential to the success of the first and subsequent American crewed spaceflights. She developed a reputation for mastering difficult manual calculations over the course of her 33-year career at NASA and its forerunner, and she played a key role in the development of the use of computers to carry out the work. According to the space agency, she was “one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist.”

7. Mary Jackson

Mary Winston Jackson-by NASA-

Mary Jackson, an American mathematician and aerospace engineer, was born on April 9, 1921, and she passed away on February 11, 2005. She worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which was replaced in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Mary was regarded as one of the most gifted and esteemed engineers at Langley. She was noted for her ability to think outside the box and apply unusual methods to address challenging challenges, in addition to her technical and mathematical expertise. Mary’s most notable accomplishment is that she was the first black woman engineer hired by NASA. She was a character in the 2016 book “Hidden Figures,” along with Dorothy Vaughan and Katherine Johnson.

8.  Gladys West 

Gladys Mae West, an American mathematician born on October 27, 1930, is renowned for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the Earth’s form and her work on the creation of satellite geodesy models that were subsequently incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS). In 2018, West was inducted into the American Air Force Hall of Fame. She received the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th Annual Webby Awards for creating satellite geodesy models.

9. Dorothy Vaughan

Dorothy Vaughan 2-by NASA on The Commons-

Dorothy Jean Johnson Vaughan was an American mathematician and human computer who worked at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, for NASA and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Back then, computers were humans who performed mathematical calculations for research teams. One of the first Black women to join their ranks, Vaughan went on to become one of Langley’s most well-known female programmers. She once served as Katherine Johnson’s boss at West Area Computers, where she also co-worked with Mary Jackson, another well-known woman. In the movie Hidden Figures, she is portrayed among other black female mathematicians who calculated rocket and satellite trajectories and helped NASA win the Space Race. She received the 2019 congressional Gold Medal for her contributions.

Read more on; 20 Most Famous Female Scientists

Famous Black Female Biologists

10. Marie Maynard Daly

American biochemist Marie Maynard Daly, who was born on April 16, 1921, passed away on October 28, 2003. She was the first African-American woman in the United States to acquire a Ph.D. in chemistry, as well as the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. from Columbia University. The chemistry of histones, protein synthesis, the connections between cholesterol and hypertension, and the uptake of creatine by muscle cells are four areas of research where Daly made significant contributions.

11. Evelyn Nicol

Evelyn Nicol-by Karen Nicol-

American immunologist and microbiologist Evelyn Marie Carmon Nicol, who was born on June 2, 1930, passed away on May 27, 2020. She was one of the first African American women to earn a molecular biology patent for developing a new way of producing urokinase. The herpesvirus family was the subject of Nicol’s other well-known studies, which explored new therapeutic approaches. She was especially interested in creating antiviral medications that may be used to combat herpes viruses like varicella zoster virus (VZV). She was also the first scientist to identify the herpes zoster virus.

Famous Black Female Astronomer

12. Beth A. Brown 

Beth A. Brown, a NASA astronomer whose work focused on X-ray investigations of elliptical galaxies and black holes, was born on February 4, 1969, and passed away on October 5, 2008. She was the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Michigan in 1998. She is renowned for her research on black holes and understanding galaxies, particularly elliptical galaxies. 

Famous Black Female Inventor

13. Lyda D. Newman

Lyda Newman’s hairbrush-by Unknown author-

Lyda D. Newman was an active advocate for women’s suffrage and a patented African-American inventor. She became famous for developing a sturdy hairbrush with synthetic bristles. Hair brushes used to be constructed of natural materials like horse hair or boar bristle, which is difficult to imagine in modern times. By substituting these materials with artificial bristles, Lyda Newman changed the business, and she accomplished this all with only a small kitchen experiment.

Famous Black Women in Physics

14. Carolyn Parker 

Carolyn Beatrice Parker, was a scientist who worked on the Dayton Project, the Manhattan Project’s branch dedicated to the production and research of plutonium for atomic bombs, from 1943 to 194. She was born on November 18, 1917, and passed away on March 17, 1966. She was one of the few African Americans who worked as technicians and scientists on the Manhattan Project. One of the first black women to obtain a Ph.D. in physics is Parker. Both the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology awarded her master’s degrees in physics (mathematics).

15. Mae Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison-by NASA-

Mae Carol Jemison, an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut, was born on October 17, 1956. She is best renowned for being the first black woman to go to space. Jemison was chosen by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1987, and when she orbited the Earth in September 1992, she made history as the first African-American woman to do so. The STS-47 mission was her last with NASA.

Read more on; 110 Most Influential Women of All Time