It is no secret that one’s environment largely contributes to their expected life longevity, especially in most poverty stricken Black communities. The housing market directly plays a role in this health disparity because where you live affects what you eat, where you work, and how you survive. As Dr. Antonio Baines described in our SBBS Black History Month Event in February, where we live can introduce certain variability in our genes that link to certain cancerous genes. As an associate professor in the biological and biomedical sciences at North Carolina Central University, Dr. Baines has so much experience investigating the precursors to cancer. Not only in his presentation to SBBS did he go over the intricacies of what can contribute to cancer but also he established what he thinks we can do to “establish innovation and foster education in the black community” about health disparities based on communities we live in.
SBBS was thrilled to host Dr. Baines for our annual Black History Month Keynote talk. We hosted over 40 graduate students, post-docs, and faculty members which gave our members a space where Blackness and Science can be discussed constructively. One part of the many topics discussed by Dr. Baines was how we can mold more students into Black scientist. Of course this is not an easy task but he mentions that with the proper attitude and strategy we all can play our part in recruiting people to our industry. We look forward to hosting other scientist to speak with our members about topics under the umbrella of science and African American culture in the future.