STEM X Book Summary by Malcolm Allen

Main Takeaway of STEM X

The American education system needs to develop and implement a strategy for
ensuring minority students participate in STEM education. Equity, access,
inclusion and diversity are key principles for STEM education. Still, years of
discrimination have led to many minority students lacking self-confidence in their
abilities to succeed in STEM. Yet, there are many examples of minority men and
women who succeeded in STEM fields despite the barriers they faced. For people
and communities to thrive and the country to remain globally competitive, there
needs to be a significant increase in minority student interest in pursuing STEM
subjects and for minority professionals to have equal opportunities in STEM jobs
through skills development. The many factors to consider to change the trajectory
of minority participation in STEM include teachers with STEM skills and unbiased
instructional behaviors, increased broadband access for underserved communities,
corporate funding for STEM education programs, and collaboration of all entities.
What You’ll Learn
 STEM skills are used by a myriad of people every day, from architects and
house builders to sanitation route planners
 STEM skills serve one purpose, which is to develop a better world
 Diversity, equity, access and inclusion should be fundamental principles of
every STEM education program
 Diversity on project teams brings people with different experiences and
perspectives and that leads to more innovative problem-solving
 STEM education programs need diverse teachers who bring their life
experiences to the educational process and better understand student needs
 HBCUs play a critical role in educating minorities in STEM
 Teachers must create an accessible learning atmosphere so all
students learn together, but inclusion must accompany access
 A lifetime of exclusion in educational systems has consequences, like creating
feelings of inferiority that lead to dropping out of STEM programs
 Minority mentors can bring understanding and empathy to the students and
employees they coach
 Developing partnerships for student and teacher training, government
investments in broadband infrastructure, and corporate-funded STEM
programs are some critical elements for increasing minority participation in
STEM training
 Problems of equity, access, inclusion, and diversity in STEM are
solvable through collaborative efforts
Summary
Malcolm Allen grew up in a town known for its poverty, crime, and disease and a
Black population that suffered from social injustices. He knew there had to be
something better. As a teenager and then as a young adult, he believed that STEM

(science, technology, engineering, and math) might be the answer to developing
united diverse and white communities in which everyone had fair opportunities. He
came to believe that the American education system needs a “wake-up call” if the
country hopes to remain competitive on the global stage. The exclusion of large
population segments in STEM education hurts people, communities, and the
country.
This book is about how STEM education and training programs can improve
communities when the programs are diverse, inclusive, and accessible.
Allen offers many examples of minority scientists and technicians as people who
overcame the barriers of bigotry and discrimination and became engineers and
mathematicians, serving as role models for the power of STEM to bring people
together and improve lives globally. He goes so far as to say that STEM is the hope
of the world.
Allen builds his case for STEM education chapter by chapter. He makes the
interesting point that STEM is not only a scientist peering into a microscope. It is
the people who design and build houses and sanitation system managers who must
engineer efficient routes for the recycling and disposal of waste. STEM skills are
used daily by people who may not even realize they are members of the STEM
community.
Given the importance of STEM in building a better world, the next natural step is to
recognize that diversity, equity, access, and inclusion should be fundamental
principles of every STEM program. This is the only way honest expression and
respect are fostered, which benefits everyone. Allen describes numerous STEM
programs funded by celebrities like Grammy Award winner Pharrell Williams, who
earned an Oscar nomination for the movie Hidden Figures, LeBron James, and
rapper will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. He also discusses successful minority
people who overcome their fears and the discrimination endured to succeed in
STEM. They are like the courageous people in the book Return on Courage who
achieved personal goals by facing fears head-on.
The author presents the stories of people who were famous for things unrelated to
STEM but made a lifelong commitment to the STEM work of Robert Moses, who
developed the Algebra Project in 1982 and continues to this day. The Algebra
Project teaches math to Black children, leading them to STEM education and
careers. The story of Robert Moses is a classic case of someone with the kind of
focused persistence the book Grit describes.
The discussion moves to the difficulties encountered in increasing the diversity of
STEM teams. Continued discrimination in education negatively impacts
minority students’ motivation, academic curiosity, and achievement. They
learn to doubt their abilities. So, an important step in advancing minority
participation in STEM is increasing the diversity of the people teaching STEM to
minority students. This applies to girls also because they often face the same kind
of stereotyping and bigotry.

Allen proceeds to present stories of minority students who experienced racism and
sexism but overcame built-in discrimination to succeed in STEM and to become
advocates for STEM training in schools. As the book Be Fearless explains, people
who achieve goals despite the barriers they face reach beyond their bubble and let
their desire to succeed overcome fears. The author weaves his way through
descriptions of programs that support women in STEM fields, the role of Historically
Black Colleges (HBCUs) in STEM, the importance of teachers in creating accessible
learning environments, and corporate programs offering training resources to
educators and employers. Getting students access is just the beginning. People
need access to opportunities to develop STEM skills all their lives because STEM
needs are constantly changing.
Inclusion is a partner to access. Inclusion gives everyone access to the STEM
learning experience, including classroom discussion, research groups, and all other
learning groups and opportunities. However, inclusion alone is not enough. For
example, minority college students drop out of STEM programs because years of
facing bigotry led to feelings of inferiority. Some approaches to overcoming the
damage of exclusion include mentorship. Minority leaders, teachers and faculty can
mentor students to help them excel. Another strategy is developing collaborative
partnerships between schools and organizations, including corporations, nonprofits
and government entities.
Western culture has reinforced the idea that brilliant white scientists make
important discoveries. It has done so by not talking about all the people who
assisted or provided the knowledge needed to make the discovery, many of whom
are minorities and women. Innovation results from the knowledge and
intelligence of many people working together. It is seldom one person. Add
diversity to the mix, and diversity of thought and ideas drives innovative problem-
solving.
Some additional topics covered include the importance of access to broadband
internet, removing obstacles to STEM access for rural students, and the need for
national investment in infrastructure and STEM teacher training.
One of the best features of this book is that it does not preach about diversity,
equity, and inclusion in STEM. It presents a logical case for increasing minority
participation in the belief it must happen for the success of people, communities,
and the country. The author presents numerous examples to support his premises
and recommendations. The examples are of real minority students, professionals,
and organizations tackling the challenge of increasing minority representation in
STEM educational programs and jobs.
Though the topic is one of lack of access to STEM and how years of discrimination
lead to children, college graduates, and professionals in the workforce feeling a lack
of confidence in themselves, the author remains upbeat throughout the book. He
truly believes there are solutions to the problem, but the solutions will
require a collaboration effort between minority role models, teachers,

businesses, government, and even celebrities. It is a big challenge, and as the
author believes, the change must start now.
Quotes From the Book
“Diverse teams bring together a variety of viewpoints, allowing them to explore
new ideas more fully.”
“Our best hope lies in our ability to work together with people who are different
from us. Their skin colors, features, faiths, and back-grounds may be different, but
living in a democracy that respects this and gives people real choices is our biggest
advantage.”
“Too many schools and educators ignore the needs of students
from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds, concentrating most of
their efforts on students who arrive from affluent homes with all the
traditional advantages.”
“Most of what we’ve discussed here concerning access, diversity,
and equity has been about kids in classrooms. That’s where most
STEM education begins, but it doesn’t end there. People need access
to STEM skills and data throughout their lives.”
“When we include everyone and give all people access, we work
better, create better, and become better people.”
Stem X is available on Amazon.

Related Reading

• Driven Book Summary by Stephen Fisher
• Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built Book Summary
• Essentialism Book Summary: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less
• How to Win Friends and Influence People Book Summary
• Discipline Equals Freedom Book Summary: Leadership By A Navy Leader