Mathematician Talithia Williams talked about cake with the audience Sunday at Syracuse University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
The topic of baking seemed odd for Williams, a data expert, professor and host of the PBS show “NOVA Wonders.”
“Unfinished. Undone. How many of you have ever had a slice of cake that was undone?” Williams said. “This happens when the interior of the cake doesn’t quite cook all the way through. Often on the outside it looks great but as soon as you bite into it, it’s gummy.”
But Williams wasn’t really talking about cake. Williams was talking about the treatment of African Americans in the United States. How the country may have made strides in equality in some aspects, but others are far from finished.
“It’s like an undone cake. We look good on the outside. We elected Barack Obama. We’ve got Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Jackson on the Supreme Court,” Williams said. “But the Flint water crisis, it’s undone … George Floyd, that was real undone.”
As she stood in front of an audience of more than 1,000 in the JMA Wireless Dome, she imagined what MLK Jr.’s dream would be if he were here today. She challenged the audience to do the same.
Williams thinks his new dream would include “mathematical literacy for all.”
It’s no surprise Williams advocates for this. Her expertise in math has earned her an impressive career.
She graduated from Spelman College and Howard University, both historically Black institutions, and received her Ph.D. from Rice University. She has worked at NASA, the National Security Agency and the World Health Organization.
She gave a TED Talk on the importance of people collecting their own health data and is a host of “NOVA Wonders,” a series on PBS that answers a science question each episode. She is a professor of mathematics and the mathematics clinic director at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.
But until educational opportunities become more available for Black students, barriers will continue for these students to excel in math, Williams said.
Only a third of high schools with a high population of Black and Latino students offer calculus, she said. Only 9 percent of Black students nationwide are enrolled in calculus while over 50 percent of Asians are enrolled in calculus.
Students from every high school in the Syracuse school district attended the event along with Superintendent Anthony Davis. The district offers calculus and will soon offer more opportunities in math as the STEAM school is completed.
The start of Williams’ career did not come without difficulties of her own. She was regularly the only woman and African American in classes. At a statistics conference, she was asked if she could refill the coffee when she was mistaken as part of the wait staff.
Williams ended her speech by asking the audience to think about what actions they could take to realize what they think Dr. King’s new dreams would be.
The university gave the Unsung Hero Award to four people who make a positive impact on the community without being widely recognized for it:
- Mia-Marie Fields, a Syracuse University senior majoring in biomedical engineering, developed a portable breast cancer detection device for resource-limited countries. She also helped to update the dean’s advisory panel in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and introduced Kevin Richardson of the “Exonerated 5″ at the Black Excellence Gala.
- Sharon Dotger is a faculty director of teacher education and undergraduate studies in the School of Education at Syracuse University. Dotger spent the last year redesigning the teacher education program to ensure that graduates of the university’s education programs are prepared to work with students with disabilities.
- Elbethel Berhane, a senior at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, works to eliminate racism in her school district by training with the Student Coalition on Race and Equity. She works at People In Action and is the co-student adviser in the Umoja/Kente Club, a group focused on advancing cultural and educational experiences for African Americans.
- Murjan Abdi is a Syracuse school district graduate and member of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York who works in workforce development. Prior to this, he made advancements to the Educational Opportunity Program and the Collegiate Science Technical Entry Program at Onondaga Community College and worked as a peer financial mentor at CNY Works.
The event also featured an art gallery with works from seven local Black artists and performances by the Community Choir, Dominique’s Dance Ensemble and Adanfo, an African drumming group.
Iris St. Meran, the co-anchor of Channel 9′s morning show, was the emcee for the event.
Leondra Tyler co-chaired the event and welcomed the audience. Tyler is a Syracuse senior working toward two bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and psychology despite dropping out of high school.
The Muslim and Jewish chaplains from Hendricks Chapel, the university’s spiritual center that hosts services for over ten religions, said a joint prayer that touched on the state Israeli-Palestinian relations.
“If we are close enough to debate, we are close enough to embrace,” Rabbi Ethan Blair said.
Watchdog/Public Affairs reporter Melissa Newcomb covers education, including Syracuse University and the city schools. For tips, contact her anytime at mnewcomb@syracuse.com, 315-679-1068, or @melissarnewcomb on Twitter.
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