African Americans In Mathematics Ii

This volume presents the proceedings of the Fourth Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences held at the Center for Research on Parallel Computation at Rice University (Houston). The included talks and poster presentations offer a broad perspective to the critical issues involving minority participation in mathematics. The issues explored are relevant not only to African American researchers, but also to the mathematical community in general. This volume is the second published by the AMS (see DIMACS series, volume 15) presenting expository and research papers by distinguished African American mathematicians. In addition to filling the existing gap on African American contributions to mathematics, this book provides leadership direction and role models for students.

This volume contains contains research and expository papers by African-American mathematicians on issues related to their involvement in the mathematical sciences. Little is known, taught, or written about African-American mathematicians. Information is lacking on their past and present contributions and on the qualitive nature of their existence in and distribution throughout mathematics. This lack of information leads to a number of questions that have to date remainedunanswered. This volume provides details and pointers to help answer some of these questions.

Erica N. Walker presents a compelling story of Black mathematical excellence in the United States. Much of the research and discussion about Blacks and mathematics focuses on underachievement; by documenting in detail the experiences of Black mathematicians, this book broadens significantly the knowledge base about mathematically successful African Americans. Beyond Banneker demonstrates how mathematics success is fostered among Blacks by mathematicians, mathematics educators, teachers, parents, and others, a story that has been largely overlooked by the profession and research community. Based on archival research and in-depth interviews with thirty mathematicians, this important and timely book vividly captures important narratives about mathematics teaching and learning in multiple contexts, as well as the unique historical and contemporary settings related to race, opportunity, and excellence that Black mathematicians experience. Walker draws upon these narratives to suggest ways to capitalize on the power and potential of underserved communities to respond to the national imperative for developing math success for new generations of young people.

This book is a critically important contribution to the work underway to transform schooling for students who have historically been denied access to a quality education, specifically African American children. The first section of the book provides some historical perspective critical to understanding the current state of education in the U.S., specifically for the education of African American children. The following sections include chapters on policy, learning, ethnomathematics, student identity, and teacher preparation as it relates to the mathematical education of Black children. Through offering “counternarratives” about mathematically successful Black youth, advocating for a curriculum that is grounded in African American culture and ways of thinking, providing shining examples of the brilliance of Blacks students, and promoting high expectations for all rather than situating students as the problem, the authors of this book provide powerful insights related to the teaching and learning of mathematics for African American students. As is made evident in this book, effective teaching involves much more than just engaging students in inquiry-based pedagogy (Kitchen, 2003). The chapters offered in this book demonstrate how mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into account historical marginalization and present-day policies that do harm to Black students (Kunjufu, 2005). Empowering mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into consideration and promote students’ cultural, spiritual, and historical identities. Furthermore, mathematics instruction for African American students should create opportunities for students to express themselves and the needs of their communities as a means to promote social justice both within their classrooms and communities.

This volume contains research and expository papers by African-American mathematicians on issues related to their involvement in the mathematical sciences.

Tessellations, palindromes, tangrams, oh my! Women Who Count: Honoring African American Women Mathematicians is a children's activity book highlighting the lives and work of 29 African American women mathematicians, including Dr. Christine Darden, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan from the award-winning book and movie Hidden Figures. Although the book is geared toward children in grades 3–8, it is appropriate for all ages. The book includes portrait sketches and biographies for the featured mathematicians, each followed by elementary-school and middle-school activity pages. Children will enjoy uncovering mathematicians' names in word searches, unscrambling math vocabulary words, solving equations to decode interesting facts, using logical thinking to uncover magic squares, locating hidden objects on an “I Spy” page, and more! They will also read about the important contributions of Drs. Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes, Evelyn Boyd Granville, and Marjorie Lee Browne, the first three African American women to receive doctoral degrees in mathematics. Other women profiled include contemporary mathematicians who will inspire today's children to become tomorrow's leaders. Women Who Count is a must-read for parents and children alike!

This volume presents research and expository papers presented at the third and fifth meetings of the Council for African American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS). The CAARMS is a group dedicated to organizing an annual conference that showcases the current research primarily, but not exclusively, of African Americans in the mathematical sciences, including mathematics, operations research, statistics, and computer science. Held annually since 1995, significant numbers of researchers have presented their current work in hour-long technical presentations, and graduate students have presented their work in organized poster sessions. The events create an ideal forum for mentoring and networking where attendees can meet researchers and graduate students interested in the same fields. For volumes based on previous CAARMS proceedings, see African Americans in Mathematics II (Volume 252 in the AMS series, Contemporary Mathematics), and African Americans in Mathematics (Volume 34 in the AMS series, DIMACS).

Since the first conference in 1995, significant numbers of researchers have presented their current work in technical talks, and graduate students have presented their work in organized poster sessions."--BOOK JACKET.