This month, we highlight the contributions of seven pioneering Black and African American statisticians.
Black History Month
Black History Month: Honoring the Past and Present
ASA President Jeri Mulrow highlights the stories of several Black statisticians and data scientists for Black History Month.
Celebrating Black History Month 2026
In celebration of Black History Month, we recognize the following individuals for their contributions to the statistics field and the lasting impact of their work on research, education, and society.
Anny-Claude Joseph
Drawn to math and real-world problem-solving, Anny-Claude Joseph earned a doctorate in biostatistics at Virginia Commonwealth University. Now, as a faculty member at Wellesley College, she mentors students inspired to pursue careers in public service.
William Edward Burghardt (W. E. B.) Du Bois
W. E. B. Du Bois was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard and one of the founders of the NAACP. He pioneered the development of sociology as a scientific discipline, using sophisticated statistical methods and infographics.
Brittney Bailey
Brittney Bailey pursued graduate study at The Ohio State University, ultimately transitioning to a PhD program in biostatistics. Today, at Amherst College, Bailey advances research in mental health and aging.
DeJuran Richardson
DeJuran Richardson was pursuing a purely mathematical path of study when, midway through graduate school, he was introduced to the biostatistics field by a chance stumble into a conference on sequential methods and testing in clinical trials.
Drake Gibson
Drake Gibson is a lifelong Prince George’s County, Maryland, resident who became passionate about data science after learning to program in R and Python in graduate school. While working at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, he took on projects that enhanced his knowledge—his colleagues noticed and encouraged him to apply to be a data scientist.
Jemar Bather
Jemar Bather is a senior scientist in biostatistics at Merck, where he applies his statistical expertise to develop new medications that enhance health outcomes for those affected by infectious diseases.
Lehana Thabane
Lehana Thabane was always fascinated by numbers and the information one can get from a single number. He took all the mathematics courses offered to him as an undergraduate. Then, when he ran out, he took statistics courses.