Mathematicians are known for figuring out the world’s most difficult equations and finding ways to apply them to nearly every aspect of daily life. Black mathematicians find themselves not only working in their chosen field of study, but also working to solve one of their most complex equations yet -- why so few of them exist.

BlackPressUSA.com
by Lorinda Bullock
NNPA National Correspondent


WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Of the nearly 15, 000 math professors in the United States, there are only about 300 who are Black and about 500 who are Hispanic. Out of the 433 Math Ph.D.s awarded last year to U.S. citizens, 14 were awarded to Black Americans, said the American Mathematical Society.

Duane Cooper, a math professor at Morehouse College, said a general perception of math being ''too difficult'' contributes to the low numbers.

“I think when students say math doesn’t make sense; it just kind of hurts me because nothing makes more sense than mathematics,” Cooper said. “Everything fits together beautifully and logically and so in some sense if it doesn’t make sense, somewhere we have failed to help you see why it makes sense.”

So rather than keep their elite club of professors, statisticians, and analysts exclusive, Black mathematicians like Cooper are striving to widen their circle.

In just the last two weeks, two major events have taken place to encourage greater Black and minority participation in all levels of math—the Blackwell-Tapia Conference in Minnesota and the 16th annual MathFest that was held at Howard University.

“One of the major purposes of the conference is to showcase what’s been achieved by this group of people and to give an opportunity for people to get together for the younger people in the field to meet the successful senior people,” said Douglas Arnold, a professor of mathematics and director of the Institute for Math and Its Applications at the University of Minnesota.

During the Blackwell-Tapia conference, the nearly 150 minority mathematicians joined together to discuss trends in minorities in math, and put on a program called “Math Is Cool” for nearly 100 local minority high school students.

Cooper knows all too well the importance of all of these functions. When he earned his Ph.D in 1993, he was one of about five Blacks to be awarded a doctorate in mathematics that particular year. He said events like the Blackwell-Tapia Conference and Mathfest are encouraging a new generation of Black mathematicians.

“The numbers (of Black Ph.D.s) were in single digits fairly steadily until the late 90s. But we’ve stayed there. So it’s still a small number… There are various programs and efforts to try to do a little better. But there’s still plenty to be done,” he said.

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