About Us
BlackInNHMs is a community developed to harness the power of the collective. We help individuals find mentors, mentees, and wellness while navigating through the sometimes harsh, isolating world of being Black in NHMs.
We want to diversify our natural history museums. We want the voices, opinions, and stories of Black people to be heard, reflected and respected in Natural history museums. And we want you to help us make it happen.
As a community of Black museum professionals, we hope to inspire Black professionals worldwide to reimagine their relationship with the biodiversity of our planet while showcasing the vast number of career opportunities available in Natural History Museum and related areas.
Using the power of education and community, we want to diversify the stories told and research done within our natural history museums and celebrate the often-unheard contributions of past Black professionals.
Our Mission
Our Vision
We envision a future where Black people’s voices, opinions, and stories are heard, reflected, and respected in Natural history museums. Where every Black individual is aware of opportunities within museums, does not feel like an imposter applying for a position and strives to occupy the highest-ranking positions museums have to offer.
We wish to provide community, group support, science education, research opportunities and networking for Black folks involved or interested in Natural History Museums. We also wish to expose Black communities across the globe to Natural History Museums and our complex connections to these institutions.
Our Founder
BiNHMs is the brainchild of Adania Flemming (She/her/hers), a PhD student in the Biology Department at the University of Florida and a researcher with the IDigBio project at the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH).
Adania’s interests lie in the aquatic systems and the ecology of fishes, particularly life histories. However, she is equally interested in expanding learning and professional opportunities for marginalized people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), especially people of African and African Diaspora origins, using NHMs as a resource.
Her experiences and feelings of isolation as a Black female in FLMNH compelled her to find ways to use NHMs as gateways to STEM careers for undergraduate students from marginalized backgrounds, helping them to find mentors and helping mentors to find BIPOC mentees.
Adania is on a mission to build a more diverse and inclusive community in the sometimes harsh isolating world of academia. The formation of the BiNHM community is a direct reflection of Adania’s commitment to changing the color of the NHM profession.
Board Members
Black in Natural History Museums is made possible by the hard work and dedication of the BiNHM's board made up of Black museum professionals from all over the world holding a diversity of positions in museums including faculty, students, researchers and support staff
Thank You to Our Donors!
Thanks to all our donors on our GoFundMe! As promised, donations of $250+ have earned a sponsorship at one of the levels listed below and will be featured on our website.
Bronze $250+
Andrew Simons, Beverly Sensbach, David Blackburn, Gil Nelson, John Friel, Jesse E Czekanski-Moir
Silver $500+
Douglas Jones, Tulane University Biodiversity Research Institute
Gold $1000+
Platinum $2500+
Diamond $5000+
University of Florida Biodiversity Institute
