"Born Into the Wrong Family": Navigating Being a Black Male in Stem

Abstract

The underrepresentation of African Americans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs and professional spaces has been a national concern for years. This phenomenon has prompted the development and implementation of various programs and initiatives to increase access to and sustain their participation in STEM. Of considerable importance, African American men only represent three percent of the scientists and engineers working in the field. However, there are few studies that have explored the academic and professional experiences of African American men through critical, holistic perspectives. This project utilizes critical race theory (CRT) and phenomenological variant ecological systems theory (PVEST) to magnify the experiences of Black men in STEM across academic and professional ranks. Through this combined CRT and PVEST lens, analyzing the challenges and navigational strategies of Black men in STEM, we reveal that Black men in STEM minimize their vulnerability to stereotypes and biases through resistance and resilience. Moreover, the utilization of a virtual counterspace as the research context for conversation between the participants provided a unique interventional approach that fostered rich intergenerational dialogue that enhanced both navigational and resistance capital for the participants. Implications for research and praxis are provided.