Black History Month is celebrated in the United States every February, highlighting the many contributions of the Black community in the country and around the world.
Join the Society of Women Engineers this month in recognizing the achievements of the Black community and honoring their rich legacy, especially Black women in STEM, and their allies.
Browse through this curated list of some of SWE’s most recent podcast episodes, blog posts, magazine articles, online courses, and other helpful resources to learn more about their work and impact as we observe Black History Month together.
Diverse: A SWE Podcast
- Ep 343: Olympic Gold Medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley on Leadership, Engineering, and “Why Not Me?”: Olympic gold medalist and industrial engineer Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, the first Black woman to win gold in the 100-meter hurdles, talks about how her personal mantra, “Why not me?,” has guided her through challenges.
- Ep 328: Crafting Your STEM Legacy With Dr. Ruth Jones: As the second African American woman in Alabama to earn a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Jones shares her trailblazing journey and career advice, reflecting on the importance of leaving a purposeful legacy and what it means to lead as your authentic self.
- Ep 303: Navigating Hidden Curriculums in STEM with Camille Smith, Founder of STEM So(ul)cial: Camille Smith, a chemical engineer and founder of STEM So(ul)cial, explores the challenges and opportunities for women and minorities in STEM, and speaks about how STEM So(ul)cial is empowering Black STEM professionals.
All Together Blog
- How Taila Moore McKelvy Turned Inspiration and Tenacity Into an Industrial Engineering Career: From a middle school event to a career in reliability engineering, Taila Moore McKelvy followed her passion for leadership, and representation in STEM. Read about her in the “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series.
- A Day in the Life of a Civil Engineer — STEM Pathways: Meet Courtney Kelly, a civil engineer, entrepreneur, and SWE member sharing her unique journey leading up to her current role. If you enjoy this, then learn about other engineering careers such as Systems Engineer, Materials Engineer, and Biomedical Engineer.
- Black History Month: A Historical Perspective from Africa to the Diaspora: From precolonial African societies to the modern diaspora, Black women have played a crucial role in engineering and technological advancements despite systemic barriers. Read about the rich history and contributions of African American women in engineering.
SWE Magazine
- NSBE Celebrates 50 Years of Advocacy for Black Engineers: Janeen Uzzell, CEO of the National Society of Black Engineers, discusses NSBE’s continuing focus on equity for Black engineers and women’s representation in STEM fields, as well as the organization’s 50 years of advocacy and success, in the December 2025 issue.
- Deja Perkins Named Young Conservationist of the Year: Learn more about Deja Perkins in our summer 2025 edition. She is a Ph.D. candidate in geospatial analytics and co-host of the Bring Birds Back podcast, recognized for her contributions toward advancing North Carolina’s wildlife, habitats, and natural resources.
- All in the Family: Innovative and accomplished mothers and daughters are building generational legacies across the engineering industry. Read how mother-daughter duo Latonya and Carlin Coleman are redefining what it means to make a mark in the world of engineering, sharing how mothers support daughters in establishing their career paths.
Advance Learning Center
- Reinspire Your Future: Kim Warren-Martin, creator and principal strategist with Reignite Her Light, helps you to identify personal and career aspirations, define and create a method of success from the inside out, and set and achieve goals that align with your own personal and career aspirations.
- Reengineer Your Thoughts for Success: Use mindfulness techniques to deconstruct disempowering thoughts, foster empowered thinking, identify innovative ideas to pursue, and implement tools learned during the course in the process.
- One of A Kind Leadership: Using Unique Abilities to Inspire and Engage: Learn how to leverage your core strengths to drive greater results. Terra Winston helps you discover how unique abilities benefit both individuals and organizations and brainstorm personal ways to improve leadership capability.
African American Affinity Group
For SWE members who identify as African American, Black, or who are allies of the African American community, the African American Affinity Group helps you connect with current members on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media channels.
You can also subscribe to their newsletter by logging into your member portal and opting in under Communication Preferences. For more information, email: africanamerican_ag@swe.org.
SWE Joint Member Organizations
SWE has partnered with the National Society of Black Engineers to provide 25% off collegiate and professional memberships. Benefit from the power of an expanded community, impactful connections, and greater access to programming and events.
