Why Don't More Black Men Get STEM Ph.D.s?

The Chronicle of Higher Education ran a suite of articles in October exploring the dearth of black men in STEM fields.

An introductory piece framing the issues and presenting the relevant statistics was accompanied by edited conversations with four black men who have earned STEM Ph.D.s. These include Karl A. Walker (assistant professor of math and computer science, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) and Ryan Charles Hynd (assistant professor of mathematics, University of Pennsylvania).

Says Walker:

I don’t see how statistics on black men can be beneficial unless people are doing something to improve their situation. There are a few people who try to make a difference and get discouraged by how there’s not a lot of people who feel the same way they do. I would like to see more motivation of black males rather than so much negative information.