Sparking STEM dreams: From 'Star Trek' to Neil deGrasse Tyson, minorities find inspiration
Ronald Gamble still remembers sitting up with his mother in the 1960s to watch the exploits of Captain James T. Kirk, Spock and Lt. Uhura on TV's groundbreaking "Star Trek."
“She was a big Trekkie,” Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said of his mom and a show with barrier-busting messages of unity and mission-driven science.
Uhura — who even once helmed the conn on the animated version of Star Trek — may have been one of the first major visualizations depicting Black people working and solving problems in the future, but she’s not alone.
In the decades since "Star Trek," a number of figures — both real and fictional — have inspired Black people to join science and engineering work fields.
One of the most prominent real-life figures, Black or white, in astrophysicsis is Neil deGrasse Tyson, the 65-year-old astrophysicist and author who appears across media talking on everything from black holes to the possibility of life on other planets.
Tyson, who one day may talk about the rings of Saturn and the next give a shout out to hip-hop, remains a staple on science shows, cable news and in movies.
One of his mentors, prominent author and astronomer Carl Sagan, once chided Hollywood directors for movies like the first "Star Wars," taking them to task over their early failure to depict alien life of all kinds, with no Blacks and other minorities in its fictional universes.
Nearly 30 years later, a plethora of books, movies and videogames depict Black explorers and Black warriors tackling galactic-sized issues in movies like "Black Panther," "Captain Marvel," the Star Wars sequels and blockbusters like the zombie-packed "I Am Legend" and the sci-fi mind-twister, "Tenet."
One of the defining trends depicting Black representation in the science and technology-themed fields of art, literature and movies is Afrofuturism, the cultural movement that combines the Black experience with science and pop culture.
Author Octavia Butler, whose work "Kindred," about a protagonist time traveling to the days of slavery, was adopted for a movie recently, is frequently cited as an influence. Gamble, an established oil painter, graphic designer and consultant, points out that part of making science and STEM-related fields accessible is making them relatable the way Star Trek and other pop culture figures do.
In recent years, groups like Black in Astro, Gamble’s Cosmic Pathfinders Program or podcasts like the Dr. Raven the Science Maven have raised the consciousness of those interested in learning the trappings of space and science.
"The plan is to remove the barriers," Gamble said.
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Far beyond 'Star Trek': Pop culture helps draw minorities to STEM
