User:H0n0r/sandbox/TanishaWilliams
Tanisha Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | Washington, D.C. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botanist |
| Institutions | |
| Website | naturesplasticity |
Tanisha Williams is a botanist and Burpee Postdoc Fellow in Botany at Bucknell University.[1] She is known for founding Black Botanists Week or #BlackBotanistsWeek.[2]
Advocacy
[edit]In 2020, Williams founded the first Black Botanists Week. After participating in Black Birders Week, a response to the Central Park birdwatching incident of the same year, Williams decided to create a week for Black people in botany.[2] "I participated in Black Birders Week and felt a sense of joy. It was nice seeing so many Black people enjoy nature, hiking, and birding. I wanted to bring that joy and representation to the botanical fields."[2] Williams recruited a board of advisors including Beronda Montgomery and Nokwanda Makunga and as part of the first week, commemorated the late Lynika Strozier.[3][4]
After the first week, Williams partnered with the Holden Arboretum to hold a weekly lecture series called “Growing Black Roots: The Black Botanical Legacy.”[2]
Dr. Williams has spoken up about how Black scientists are perceived while conducting fieldwork, and explained her own precautions before going to work: “I’ve been quizzed by random strangers,” she said. “Now I bring my wildflower books and botanical field guides, trying to look like a scientist. It’s for other people. I wouldn’t otherwise lug these books.”[5]
Work
[edit]In 2020, Williams spoke to the Washington Post about the effects of Climate Change on tree species and leaf colors.[6] In 2021, Williams appeared on NPR to explain how leaves change color, and opened the field of botany to anyone who loves plants.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Tanisha Williams Burpee Post-Doctoral Fellow in Botany". Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ a b c d "Tanisha Williams: Botanist And Founder of Black Botanists Week". 2021-02-11.
- ^ "#BlackBotanistsWeek Meet Our Team". Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ Glick, Molly (2021-02-21). "Inside 2020's Black Solidarity Hashtag Movement, How scientists and adventurers united online in the name of equity". Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ Associated Press. "Black scientists call out racism in the field and counter it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ Kat Long (October 17, 2020). "Human-driven climate change is changing the colors of fall foliage, scientists say". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ "Micro Wave: Why Do Leaves Change Color During Fall?". NPR Short Wave. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2021-07-19.