FEARLESS FIRSTS

An inspirational gallery of DEI-hard pathfinders who made strides in science.

Well-crafted, alphabetically arranged entries, each consisting of a one-page profile and a formal painted portrait, describe how 50 trailblazers facing racism, ableism, and misogyny excelled in fields from medicine to astrophysics. Some, such as Benjamin Banneker—the first known Black scientist in the U.S. and the oldest member of the roster—and agriculturalist George Washington Carver, are already iconic figures, but most will be new to young audiences. A handful are even still active or at least living, including blind oceanographer Amy Bower and still-rising Cuban American star Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, who as a teenager built and flew her own airplane on the way to becoming a prize-winning theoretical physicist. To provide a broad historical perspective, the authors add shoutouts to the work of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and to the 1965 Immigration Act—both of which helped to break down barriers impeding marginalized people—and place their chosen figures on a timeline at the end. Readers intimidated by all the achievement on display here can take heart from their assurance that “the people here were not simply born geniuses. They worked hard at what they loved, stayed curious, and never gave up despite the challenges.” That’s a workable strategy for anyone.

A notably diverse array of STEM-centric role models.