Black Girls Movement

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Her story inspired a movement

In 1987, Darlene Bell graduated from college with a degree in Computer Science, which was rare for women at the time. While pursuing this field she could not afford a computer, so she wrote her code on paper. Less than a year after entering the workforce, and not long after getting married, she found herself laid off due to being pregnant.

Over the course of a year and a half, she gave birth to two sets of twins, giving her four children under the age of 2. In an era that was drastically less supportive of working mothers, she had to choose between career and family. Her brave choice was that of being a stay-at-home mom. Although society was not as supportive of working moms at that time, her dedication to STEM continued on through her children and her volunteer work throughout the nation. She made sure all 6 of her children were continuously involved in STEM activities, from after-school programs to internships. They now have educational backgrounds in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Global Health, Finance, and Public Health. In addition she is now one of the leading voices on the Board of Directors at American Woman.

As she has said many times before "In 1987 there was a huge shortage of women in STEM, and today our society is facing this same issue. Not much has changed." She will continue to advocate for women in STEM through her children, through her community and through her voice. She believes it is essential that women and girls receive the STEM help that they deserve to truly be successful. This Hidden Figure's story is an inspiration and is a major reason why we started American Woman. Women and girls in STEM should always have support no matter what stage of life they are in.