In honor of Black History Month, I thought it would be interesting and appropriate to look at a few notable black mathematicians who have utilized their maths prowess to contribute in significant ways to society.
- David Blackwell (1919-2010)
Despite being the son of a railroad worker, David Blackwell became a great mathematician and statistician. During his lifetime he was barred from studying and working at many different universities in the U.S. due to racial prejudice. Blackwell overcame many of these challenges to become a statistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He was also the first African-American to be admitted into the US National Academy of Sciences, a society of the most distinguished scientists in America.
David Blackwell specialised in game theory and became an expert on what is known as the duellist’s dilemma, where two opponents approach each other with loaded pistols and have to decide on the best moment in which to fire – a problem which was of keen interest to the military during the Cold War. His work is widely used in fields like economics, engineering, and information theory.
- Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)
Katherine Johnson was a space scientist and mathematician who was employed by NASA – working on many famous missions such as that of the first American flight in space; the moon landings and also the infamous Apollo 13 flight. Katherine Johnson was so good that in 1962 astronaut John Glenn refused to fly unless she had personally checked all the calculations of his orbit around the earth.
As an African-American woman in the 1950s it was unheard of to be engaged in mathematical research for NASA. The only way she obtained this role was by being temporarily assigned to the all-male flight research team – once she was there, her prodigious talents meant that she was kept on as a vital member of the team. Johnson’s work was pivotal in the U.S. space race, and her mathematical expertise directly contributed to the success of several U.S. space missions.
- Ernest Wilkins Jr (1923-2011)
Ernest Wilkins Jr was a remarkable mathematician, displaying amazing talents from an early age. He started studying at university at the age of just 13, and by the age of 19 had already earned a PhD in mathematics. During the Second World War he worked on the Manhattan project which was focused on developing the first atomic bomb and after the war continued to apply mathematics to problems in the nuclear industry. His accomplishments in both mathematics and engineering provided significant advancements in energy and atomic research.
The above individuals (as well as many others) advanced mathematical knowledge while fighting against racial barriers that limited their access to education and career opportunities. Exploring and acknowledging the stories of black mathematicians highlights the importance of diversity not only in education (and specifically maths education) but also STEM-related careers. Check out the link below for more information about the achievements of black mathematicians.
