COMMUNITY
The Community STEAM Showcase Shines a Spotlight on Diversity in Science and Technology For over 20 years the Saint Louis Science Center has
have made in STEAM that are often overlooked and
hosted the Community STEAM Showcase (formerly
left out of the history books. Some of these notable
known as the Minority Scientist Showcase) to highlight
STEAM professionals included Dr. Charles Drew, a
the accomplishments of people of color and women
surgeon and medical researcher who helped develop
in STEM. Although the COVID-19 pandemic made
a means of processing and storing blood; Frederick
things look a little different when the event took
Jones, an inventor and entrepreneur who created an air
place during January’s Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
conditioning unit for automobiles; and Lonnie Johnson,
weekend, the Community STEAM Showcase helped
an inventor and engineer who created the Super Soaker
shine a spotlight on the diversity of the scientific
water gun.
community. Although this year’s event was scaled back due
26
As the sole exhibitor for this year, the Museum of
to the pandemic, the Science Center’s Community
Black Inventors, a pop-up museum located in St. Louis,
Science department was on hand to pass out science
illustrated many of the contributions African Americans
kits providing at-home learning and introducing kids
SP R IN G 2022
