Fear, Fuel, And Fire!: Black Stem Doctoral Students' Career Decisions During The Trump Presidency

President Trump's education policies continue to marginalize Black STEM students at the highest levels of education. Responding to a survey on their racialized educational experiences and future career trajectories, an ethnically diverse group of Black STEM doctoral students expressed anxiety about trying to pursue a STEM career during the Trump presidency. Their responses reflected their heightened sense of urgency to be change agents for racial justice in both the STEM arena and the wider society. These survey findings demonstrate that the Trump administration has created anxiety among minoritized people about pursuing STEM careers and triggered an activist spirit in this group of future STEM PhDs. In this paper, I discuss the ways the racist ideologies, practices, and policies of the Trump administration are impairing scientific innovation and increasing activism among Black STEMers. The findings reveal a vital need to continue discussing the consequences of the Trump administration's assault on Blacks in the STEM disciplines.