Woman who was told ‘Blacks are not good at Science’ earns a Ph.D in Physics

Monifa Phillips is no ordinary woman. Recently, she shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first black woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Glasgow, and Dr. Monifa Phillips did this while being told that black people were just not good at science. It is rather rare to see a woman dominate in the field of physics.

But Phillips was determined to carve out a niche for herself in the physics arena, which is dominated mostly by men. According to statistics provided by the National Science Foundation, only 5.4 percent of Ph.D. recipients are black. But the racism is too real, and that’s something that Phillips experienced first-hand. She shared one particular experience on Twitter when she was told: “Black people aren’t good at science, they’re just better at music.

“Even when it came to companies hiring her, Phillips said that she would go through the organization’s website to check if they hire persons of color. She revealed that even in this case, she has to ask a very obvious question: “Do you hire black and brown people? For there is no evidence.” The lack of diversity in her field has been noted by Phillips. “I’m a proud Black British woman from (London). I made space for myself in a predominantly white, male field,” she wrote on Twitter. “It was hard, but with the support of my family & my community, I did it.”

Her stellar achievement has also been recognized by the University of Glasgow’s School of Physics and Astronomy. They congratulated on her accomplishment and made a promise they intend to stick by. A Tweet congratulating Dr. Phillips says: “We recognize that Physics suffers from a lack of racial diversity; although Monifa is the first, we are determined she will not be the last Ph.D. awarded!”A hearty congratulations to Dr. Monifa Phillips!

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