On the week of 10th-16th August, 2020, scientists across Twitter came together to celebrate the Black scientists working in Chemistry. The community event included a range of chemistry themes, from Organic to Physical Chemistry, showcasing a diverse range of research, and even garnered support from celebrities such as MC Hammer and Michael B. Jordan.

#BlackinChem was started by a group of early career researchers, following on from other successful weeks, who wanted to highlight the incredible range of science that Black chemists do.

 

#BlackinChem wouldn’t be what it is without these amazing people!@That_Astro_Chic @onlyayanna_ @KathinatedDrink @NatRodLopes1 @blackinthelab @hi_d_nq 🧪❤️ pic.twitter.com/4A7qztEsT2

The main tweets of he week were by Black chemists highlighting their research interests.

 

Hi everyone! #BlackinChemRollCall I’m Sonja, an Electrochemist, and a Chem lecturer at Princeton U. I worked on bimetallic/alloy electrocatalysts for fuel cells and CO2 reduction and now interested in academic support interventions. Looking forward to to #BlackInChem week! pic.twitter.com/GpTNpFnIaK

 

#BlackinChem Kelly here 🇿🇼. I’m a grad student @KStateChemistry in the Aakeroy lab. My work focuses on crystal engineering and inorganic chemistry to modify properties of agrochemicals, fragrances and energetics :from fundamentals to applications.Cobalt girl…#BlackinInorganic pic.twitter.com/8OQM40zVgm

The week also included online events, panels and socials throughout the week.

Issues surrounding diversity in science, particularly representation of Black scientists, was discussed.

 

1,656 U.S. citizens and permanent residents received a Master’s degree in chemistry in 2016.
Only 89 were Black. That’s less than 5.4%. #BlackinChem #BlackinChemRepresentation #BlackinChemGradStudent (Source: NSF NCSES) pic.twitter.com/7vd4GZBRJZ

There were even a few celebrity shout outs! Yes, this is MC Hammer tweeting about MOFs!

 

Mesoporous stilbene-based lanthanide metal organic frameworks: synthesis, photoluminescence and radioluminescence characteristics - Dalton Transactions (RSC Publishing) #BlackinOrganic #BlackinChemRollCall https://t.co/qhlMLv9Dod

Overall, it was an incredibly successful week. A massive congratulations to everyone involved, and especially to the organisers.

Find out more about #BlackInChem here.