Citing Black Women+ In Physics Easier Than Ever, Thanks To This Free Bibliography

Fifty years after Dr Willie Hobbs Moore became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in physics, we now have a near complete list of the papers published by US-based Black women+ with PhDs in physics.

Here’s what you need to know about the Cite Black Women+ In Physics and Astronomy Bibliography.

The Cite Black Women Movement

The resource is the brainchild of Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, an Assistant Professor of Physics and Core Faculty in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of New Hampshire.

After trying to find new and innovative ways to engage with Black women proactively, Prescod-Weinstein started to champion the #CiteBlackWomen movement, first created by Christen A. Smith in 2017. The launch of the Cite Black Women+ In Physics and Astronomy Bibliography is an extension of this movement which pushes people to critically reflect on how they incorporate Black women into the CORE of their work.

The collection, which has timely been launched to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Willie Hobbs Moore, will showcase the many Black women who have acquired PhDs in physics over the last 50 years.

A collaborative effort

According to Prescod-Weinstein, the idea to launch the collection came from her personal experience as the only Black woman to hold an official position in theoretical cosmology or particle theory.

The bibliography will consist of a complete list of professional publications of US-based Black women+ with PhDs in physics and includes related fields like materials science and geophysics. The women listed in the collection were carefully selected by Dr Jami Valentine Miller and African-American Women in Physics Inc (AAWIP).

Additionally, the list includes elders who achieved their bachelor’s and master’s in physics and mathematical physics before Dr Moore earned her PhD, as well as some who, over the years, earned terminal master’s degrees and remain active in the community.

University of New Hampshire undergraduate research assistants Sabrina Brown and Tessa Cole compiled most of the bibliography. They have since graduated and are a librarian and an engineer respectively.

The bibliography is available to the public as a Zotero library. Check it out here.