As black Afro-Canadian female in STEM, I’m often conflicted with many “what ifs”. What if I don’t fit in their norm? What if my interviewer has racial biases? What if I am immediately underestimated? As I look around, I am reminded that I am a minority and that I have to work three times as hard to be recognized. The truth is that there is an evident struggle to attract and retain women in STEM fields. This is partially because there are very few black role models in these fields, coupled with a lack of diversity and inclusivity in accepting black students in these programs. For example, in the 2020 graduating class of University of Toronto Medical School, there was only one black female, Dr. Chika Stacey Oriuwa. Despite Toronto’s marketable range of cultures, there is simply not enough diversity translated into admissions. We’ve recited feelings of isolation, mistreatment in our workplace and lack of opportunities for advancement for very good reason. In March, the 2016 USA National Science Foundation, Black women earned more than 33,000 bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering with 24% of doctorates awarded to black women were in STEM. But that same report showed that in 2017, only 5% of managerial jobs in STEM were held by black women and men combined. So, where are Black females in STEM leadership? Despite what I see, I’ve chosen to remove myself from a victim mentality. I want to be the change and I want to encourage others to be their change by speaking out about the issues in our community.