Participation and Research of Astronomers and Astrophysicists of Black African Descent (1900–2005)

Abstract

The second half of the Twentieth Century witnessed the emergence of the first modern Astronomers and Astrophysicists of Black African descent. In this paper we enumerate these researchers and briefly describe their activities. We also describe the broader social and political contexts which have impacted their participation and research. We focus primarily on researchers in the United States of America (28) and in Nigeria (19) who have together produced over 90% of the astronomical researchers known to the authors. We briefly mention researchers from other countries including South Africa (3) and in Eurasia (2). We conclude by describing the pioneering researchers and disseminators of the Black African Diaspora’s contribution of to the modern astronomical sciences.