5 - Ignorance is not bliss: what every potential Black PhD science student needs to know

Summary

They say ‘Knowledge is Power’ and I think that is where we, the Black community, in general, lose a lot of power. Whether it is a lack of knowledge about available opportunities and roles, not knowing where to look or being unaware of who can point us in the right direction, we usually seem to be on the back foot. Many of us tend to be first- generation graduates and there is usually no template or an idea of which career path to follow, or at least that is what I have found in my experience. Within my circle, I have found myself sharing the limited information I have attained in order to help guide others. I have taken on this role almost as a duty, because I realise how valuable this information could be to others, just as it was for me. It is, however, when I sit down to reflect, a role that I also find extremely frustrating, particularly because I recognise how many opportunities there are for us, but we miss out on because we do not know about it. If we know what is out there and decide not to pursue them, then that is our choice, therefore a very different situation. In a way, it feels like we are always one step behind.

As I share my story, I will highlight some opportunities and experiences I was fortunate to have, that helped shape my decisions and subsequently led to where I am now. I will also touch on why I am irritated by the lack of awareness of what is common knowledge in a lot of communities, but not in ours.

I have always been interested in school; I was very comfortable academically and personally. I went to quite a diverse secondary school and although there were not many Black students, many ethnic minorities were represented. I specifically remember an Indian teaching assistant who used to look out for the Asian students, and me, and tried to make sure we stayed on the right path. She encouraged me to pursue higher education and would try to convince me that I was intelligent enough to take my studies even further than A- levels. Teenagers tend to be quite impressionable; therefore having someone who believed in me and my abilities gave me the confidence to believe I was capable of more than I thought.