Earth & Space
Celebrating a shared cosmos and advancing Black equity in space science
Black in Astro, co-led by an astronomy postdoc at UC Santa Cruz, welcomes all to join the grassroots organization’s virtual conference to find inspiration and connection in a vibrant global community
At the American Astronomical Society's annual meeting in 2025, several members of Black in Astro (BIA) met with Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey. From left to right are BIA committee co-chair Gregory Mosby, BIA Vice President Caprice Phillips, American Astronomical Society President Dara Norman, Ivey, and Ashley Walker, BIA's president and founder.
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Coinciding with Juneteenth next Friday, the grassroots organization Black in Astro (BIA) will host its annual virtual conference featuring panels, discussions, and community-engagement activities that celebrate and amplify the Black experience in space-related fields.
Caprice Phillips, a NASA Sagan Fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is BIA’s vice president and led planning for Black Space Week 2026, scheduled for June 14 to 20. This year’s theme, “Voices of a Shared Cosmos,” emphasizes that “space is a global effort where Black excellence is not just a solo performance, but a vital part of the universal cosmic symphony.”
Each day’s events—from virtual mixers, STEM education and space-policy panels, to research showcases—aim to underscore that progress of the movement for Black equity in space sciences “requires a steady, persistent beat, one that resonates from the classroom to the cockpit of a spacecraft.”
Black Space Week events are free and open to the public. Phillips said BIA strives for fun and vibrant programming for its flagship event, with overarching themes like unity and togetherness. Phillips joined the UC Santa Cruz astronomy community in 2025 after completing her Ph.D. at Ohio State University to continue her work on atmospheric observations of brown dwarfs.
“I want professors, undergrads, people thinking about going to undergrad, grad students, to come watch these presentations, ask questions, learn, or just hear about what people are working on,” Phillips said. “I want people to engage with the material, and learn something new, meet a new person, and also have fun.”
UC Santa Cruz received a grant of $320,000 from the Heising-Simons Foundation to support BIA’s existing initiatives, including Black Space Week, travel grants, speaker series, student-research showcases, and networking dinners. New outreach grants are being planned.
Black In Astro was founded in 2020 to support, celebrate, and amplify Black scientists, engineers, and education in space-related fields. The organization has been featured in Nature Astronomy, received the Royal Astronomical Society’s 2023 Annie Maunder Medal for BIA’s outreach and community-empowerment efforts, and received a letter of recognition from former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I admire Black in Astro’s commitment to driving the United States toward a more equitable and prosperous future in space while working at the intersection of science, art, entertainment, history, culture, and business,” Harris wrote in her 2024 letter. “Your efforts enrich the space community while also strengthening our Nation’s position as a leader in this critical field.”
Phillips and other BIA members started Black Space Week in 2020 to connect members of the Black space community in a way that is accessible around the world. This year, Phillips said she is most excited for #RaiseYourVoice, a policy and advocacy panel on June 16 that will discuss topics from equitable science practices to space travel.
Black Space Week starts on Sunday with #StellarSoundcheck, an open mic for community members to casually get to know each other, and ends on June 20 with the only in-person event, Sally’s Night, hosted at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum—celebrating the life of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
Attendees at BIA’s table can participate in a virtual scavenger hunt featuring trading cards of historical figures, and pick up exclusive merchandise. BIA science communicators will also be hosting the social-media table to chat with visitors, highlight new space science initiatives, and discuss upcoming missions at NASA and other top institutions.
Creating space
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, founded the Lamat Institute, which advances astronomy and planetary sciences by mobilizing the talents of students from marginalized backgrounds through holistic mentoring, culturally responsive training, and intensive scientific inquiry.
Ramirez-Ruiz said Black in Astro presents a wonderful opportunity for all to reflect on how to be more intentional about amplifying the work and voices of Black scholars on our campus at all times—especially students and early-career researchers whose contributions are not always as visible as they should be.
“Events like Black Space Week matter because they create space for students and scholars to see themselves reflected in the scientific enterprise,” Ramirez-Ruiz said. “They remind us that excellence in astronomy is strengthened when a broader range of experiences, perspectives, and talents are welcomed into the field.”