Canadian astrophysicist Louise Edwards is used to answering some of the universe鈥檚 toughest questions. But at the moment she鈥檚 trying to answer this one: How many Canadian Black astronomers does she know?
Edwards, an associate professor in California Polytechnic State University鈥檚 physics department, is on a Zoom call with CBC while sitting in a friend鈥檚 brightly lit shed near her home in Berkeley, Calif.
Mulling the question, she turns her head to the right, facing white wood-panelled walls. She鈥檚 thinking hard.
鈥淯mmm,鈥 she says, looking off into the distance. 鈥淭here are definitely a few new grad students that I know of.鈥
She pauses and smiles. 鈥淚 know some physicists. And some education astronomy folks.鈥
It鈥檚 clear she鈥檚 struggling.
鈥淵eah, there鈥檚 very few,鈥 Edwards finally says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 any other folks who are currently working not as students [but] as astronomers who are Canadian. I don鈥檛 know. I would imagine I would know them.鈥
Canada has some of the world鈥檚 most talented astronomers, astrophysicists and physicists. There鈥檚 , whose work on pulsars and neutron stars earned her the Gerhard Herzberg Canada gold medal for science and engineering; , a world-renowned astronomer and planetary scientist at MIT who earned a MacArthur 鈥済enius鈥 grant in 2013 and is a leader in exoplanet research; and .
One thing they have in common? They鈥檙e all white.
Black astronomers are few and far between in North America, but especially in Canada. Inside the community, members share stories of discrimination, micro-aggressions and feelings of isolation, which can ultimately dissuade others from pursuing careers in the sciences.
High school challenges
Hewitt is active in bringing STEM to Black youth. He co-founded , a STEM outreach program in Nova Scotia for Black students. His programs include the , a summer camp at Dalhousie.
Why are there so few Black Canadian scientists in general, but in particular, those who seek out a career in astronomical science?
One of the problems may be found in the education system.
Take the province of Ontario, for example. Until recently, high schools there had a 鈥渟treaming鈥 program, which directed students into different post-secondary routes. 鈥淎cademic鈥 courses were more challenging and required for university; 鈥渁pplied鈥 courses prepared students for college and trades; and 鈥渆ssentials鈥 provided support for students in meeting the requirements to graduate.
In 2017, , a professor in the faculty of education at 91亚色 in Toronto, found that only 53 per cent of Black students in the Toronto District School Board were put in academic programs, compared to 81 per cent of white students and 80 per cent of other racialized students.
Conversely, 39 per cent of Black students were enrolled in applied programs, compared to 16 per cent of white students and 18 per cent of other racialized students.
鈥淲hat we found in that study was many of the [Black] parents were talking about how their children were streamed into vocational or essential or low-level courses,鈥 James said. Some parents would try to 鈥渋ntervene,鈥 he said, but their concerns fell on deaf ears.