STEM Tea | Black professionalism in STEM

This episode of STEM Tea, hosted by Elsie Calderon Spencer (Columbia University, NY, USA), sheds light on the implicit biases of workplace dress policies. Elsie is joined by Haysetta Shuler, Maria Namwanje and Ella Adjei-Sowa to discuss the continued policing of hair and cultural dress in professional settings and how the perception of what ‘professionalism’ should look like creates barriers that impact people of color, especially Black women. They also consider the role that social media has played in hair acceptance and give recommendations to ensure that dress policies are respectful and inclusive.

(Left to right) Elsie Calderon Spencer is an Administrative Director for the National Center for Children and Families at the Teachers College, Columbia University; Haysetta Shuler is a DEI consultant and STEM mentor; Maria Namwanje is a clinical genomics scientist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (TN, USA); and Ella Adjei-Sowa, a graduate student at the University of Rochester (NY, USA) studying nanoparticles as drug delivery methods.

Contents:

• Introduction: 00:00–06:02
• Can you give historical context to Black cultural identity in American history? 06:02–09:54
• Can you elaborate on race-based hair inequities and the ways it detrimentally affects people of color? 09:54–10:55
• Why is it so important to look at hair and cultural attire in the workplace? 10:55–12:39
• What is the cultural significance attached to natural hairstyles? 12:39–14:12
• How can an HR administrator or an organization be inclusive and how should they define ‘professional’? 14:12–16:10
• When is it necessary to have policies in place that curtail how hair or cultural dress is worn on the job? 16:10–16:55
• Outro: 16:55–17:37
• What’s the tea? 17:37–19:08
• Social media handles: 19:08–20:20
  • Haysetta Shuler @PStrengthen
  • Elsie Spencer @Elsielacubana
  • Ella Adjei-Sowah @easa_me
  • Maria Namwanje @mnamwanje_PhD