eyond, and that is even more the case today. Have blacks had equal access to the necessary education? The answer seems to be a clear "no." One author notes that, "The extreme rarity of black men and women among this nation's scientists testifies to the in equalities of opportunity that have hampered and still hamper the attainment of first-class citizenship by black Americans" (4).
             Finding the proper remedies, however, depends on correctly identifying the component parts that stand in the way of equal access. I will not examine here those factors which deter equal opportunity for higher education generally; among them would be cultural prejudice, institutional racism, economic deprivation, and inadequate secondary education. Important factors that limit the access of blacks to engineering and scientific education in particular, however, would include inaccessible role models, inadequate preparation, and poor guidance.
             In order for any young person to aspire to a given career or other achievement, there must be present somewhere in that person's world--if only in the vicarious world of books--a model with whom to identify, and a message that encourages imitation. Doesn't the dominant culture and media stereotyping tell many black youth that basketball prowess pays off more than mathematical ability? that survival depends more on street wisdom than on schooling? The average black youth can readily name black achievers in the world of sports and entertainment, but may have difficulty naming any prominent black inventors, engineers, or scientists (beyond a well-known figure such as George Washington Carver), and may never see one in person, or even on television.
             The reason for the inaccessibility of black role models in the fields of science and engineering is not the lack of such models, but the
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