Supporting the next generation of Black excellence in STEM

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OPINION – As we close out Black History Month, we celebrate the extraordinary contributions of Black Americans to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We remember Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose calculations sent astronauts safely into orbit and back home again in 1962. Her brilliance helped shape the space age—yet for decades, the world did not even know her name.

That is the nature of hidden genius. It does not disappear. It simply goes unrecognized. Today, too many of California’s hidden geniuses are sitting in our classrooms, falling through the cracks.

California is facing an ongoing math crisis. Our state ranks 43rd in the nation in fourth-grade math proficiency, and only 37% of our K-12 students perform at grade level in math. For Black students, the picture is even more alarming: California ranks 37th out of 39 states in fourth-grade math achievement for Black students and just 20% of K-12 San Diego Unified School District’s Black students are meeting grade-level standards. These outcomes do not reflect our students’ potential — they reflect how long we have waited to provide support.

That’s why I introduced SB 1067, legislation that would require universal screening for math difficulties in kindergarten through second-grade classrooms across California.

Math learning is cumulative. Children who struggle with foundational concepts such as counting, number comparison, and basic operations in the early grades rarely catch up without targeted intervention. The longer we wait, the wider the achievement gap becomes. This is reflected in California’s own data: in 2025, 46% of all third graders were proficient in math, compared with just 33% of eleventh graders. And a 2025 report from the University of California, San Diego found that one in every eight incoming freshmen are not meeting school math standards. By identifying learning challenges early, we can provide timely support before students fall irreversibly behind.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Bob Moses risked his life to register Black voters in Mississippi. At the height of the movement, he helped organize Freedom Summer in 1964; a campaign that drew national attention to the systematic disenfranchisement of Black Southerners. Later, he brought those same organizing instincts to the classroom after watching Black students—including his own daughter—systematically steered away from algebra in school. Moses saw then what we know now: math literacy is not just an academic subject, it is a civil right.

In California, where STEM careers continue to grow, denying students access to a strong foundation in math limits economic mobility and opportunity. Mathematics opens doors — to college, to careers, and to participation in the decisions shaping our future. This is why SB 1067 matters.

California recently made major strides in early literacy, including implementing universal screening for reading difficulties (SB 114). Beginning this school year, over 1.2 million K-2 students will be screened and those needing additional support will be provided with timely, evidence-based interventions. SB 1067 applies that same proven approach to math. This is critical because early math proficiency has actually proven to be an even greater predictor of later academic success than early reading skills. Aligning the state’s literacy and numeracy efforts simply adds up.

As Black History Month comes to a close, I ask my colleagues to remember what Bob Moses organized around and what Katherine Johnson proved with each calculation: the brilliance is already there. Our responsibility is to recognize it early, nurture it, and refuse to let it remain hidden. Universal math screening would give our teachers the tool to do exactly that.

Passing SB 1067 provides every California child a fair chance at becoming our state’s future scientists, computer programmers, doctors, and astronauts. In the innovation capital of the world, we owe every child in California the opportunity to reach for the stars.

Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D. represents California’s 39th Senate District.