Hidden Figures of the Atmosphere : African American Milestones in Meteorology

November 14, 2024

Alan Sealls

Hosted by Eric Maloney

Abstract

The formal study of meteorology is a fairly young science. Our understanding and ability to sense, model and forecast the atmosphere are relatively new achievements. While many historic and contemporary names known internationally for contributions to the atmospheric sciences are of males of European ancestry, all peoples and cultures have observed weather and tried to understand it. Hidden Figures of the Atmosphere focuses on African Americans, in particular. It is a partial list of milestones and achievements, overlooked or unknown to many, that gives context to the present state of African Americans in meteorology, and hope for increased future ethnic diversity in the atmospheric sciences.