Black Women of STEM: how four entrepreneurs are changing science, technology, engineering and math

By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers are some of the highest-paying, fastest-growing professions on the job market. In 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the median annual wage across all STEM occupations was $95,420 compared to $40,120 for non-STEM occupations.& But, the STEM workforce is primarily male and White. Women and people of color have struggled to gain equitable representation and opportunity in STEM industries over the decades.& According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), although women comprise 51 percent of the U.S. population, only 35 percent of the STEM labor force are women.& For women of color the number is even lower, with Black women comprising a mere 1.6 percent of the country’s scientists and engineers.& Civic leader Tyrone Taborn is the founder of Career Communication Group, which helps global corporations and governments locate, develop and retain minorities with STEM backgrounds. The company annually publishes “The Women of Color Magazine” and the “U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology Magazine.” Each year, Taborn’s organization recognizes top Black female contributors in STEM with “Women of Color” awards that highlight different scientists, tech innovators, engineers and mathematicians....