Throughout both her educational and professional experiences in chemistry, Cynthia Chapple has been and continues to be one of the only Black women in the room. This experience can feel both isolating and, in her case, motivating.
“As I reflect on my college years and upbringing, I am faced with the harsh reality that lack of exposure and encouragement may be the reason for my often-solo appearance in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) industry,” said Chapple.
While earning her master’s degree at SIUE, Chapple often felt disrespected by her mostly white male students, and she lacked a mentor with whom she could share these feelings and be understood. She believes these experiences are common for people of color at the university level.
“In the university culture, there is a lack of people willing to tell the truth and share power,” Chapple said. “Equity work cannot and will not happen in universities and other spaces that aren’t ready to look at their past and tell the truth—a truth that Black, Indigenous and people of color have had grossly different experiences in classrooms, faculty meetings and sometimes even in the boardroom.”