If the only time you think of me as a scientist is during Black History Month, then I must not be doing my job as a scientist.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If you only think of me during Black History Month, I must be failing as an educator and as an astrophysicist.
I do consider myself part of black history.
I definitely intend to create my own work in the future so that we don't have to keep saying, We don't have work for black women.'
There are so many people who have this idea of who I am because I'm black.
I think I was a born scientist.
The less I talk about being black, the better.
I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.
If you think about it, I made history. Not only was I the first black British woman to be nominated for an Oscar, I was the first black British person.
It's very lonely being a prominent black intellectual at an institution where you're the only prominent black intellectual. That was the model that was followed in the late 60s when black studies started. You'd get one here and one there and one here, like Johnny Appleseed.
I remember being in a history lesson and saying to my teacher, 'How come you never talk about black scientists and inventors and pioneers?' And she looked at me and said, 'Because there aren't any.'