First Black Male Valedictorian at Oakland Technical High School Encourages Young Scientists Through Science Experiments
by Olivia Green | WeINSPIRE Reporter
HERCULES, Ca. — 18-year-old Ahmed Muhammad regularly babysits his 7 and 9-year-old niece and nephew. The kids are always open and excited to try new things so Muhammad was surprised when he suggested they try a science experiment and they both hesitated because they felt as if they were “not good at science.” As a math and science lover himself, Muhammad was alarmed by their response and decided to set up some experiments with things they could find around the house. By the end of the day, they had made a potato battery, a sundial, and they even experimented with the leaves in the backyard. His niece and nephew loved it and asked when they could do even more exploring with science. This became the beginning of Kit’s Cubed, Ahmed Muhammad’s non-profit out of Oakland, CA, that creates fun science kits for kids while striving to encourage and empower children in STEM.
Photo Courtesy of Ahmed Muhammad
As an Oakland native, Muhammad has been aware of the scarce science resources available in his own schools as he remembers doing his very first in-school science experiment as a freshman in high school. At that point, the lack of exposure to STEM for many may make it seem difficult and unattainable when you start with having to catch up. In an effort to expose him to a diverse amount of activities, Muhammad’s parents introduced him to science by sending him to SEEK, an engineering program for kids in elementary school that the National Society of Black Engineers runs. This ignited his passion for STEM from an early age. While Muhammad was able to gain exposure to science, while seeing himself represented in science professionals, not all children, especially those from minority backgrounds, have the opportunity to see themselves reflected in STEM fields.
“We don’t really get to learn about the great Black scientists and Black contributions in the STEM field over the centuries and it’s the same thing with teachers and curriculum in general,” said Muhammad. “We are not exposed to science that is engaging to us.”
Photo Courtesy of Ahmed Muhammad
In addition to the lack of minority representation in the science curriculum, Muhammad also points to the scarce resources that science teachers have to work with. “They all have committed their lives to educate us young folk and paving the way for the next generation,” said Muhammad. “They do so much with the limited resources they have, so we can’t do labs everyday, not because the students and teachers don’t want to but because the science department lacks funding. As students, we want to learn and teachers want to teach so with what we have, we do the best that we can.”
Photo Courtesy of Ahmed Muhammad
Although people have doubted Muhammad and his team of other young scientists based on their ages, he is continuously overwhelmed and motivated by the support that the science kits receive. Parents send in pictures of their children exploring through their resources. Kids email Kit’s Cubed with further inquiring questions about what they have learned. Muhammad is dedicated to continuing the work of Kit’s Cubed even after he leaves Oakland.
This spring, Muhammad will become Oakland Technical High School’s first Black male valedictorian in its one-hundred-and-seven-year history, which is both monumental and alarming considering that according to their website, the school has a larger concentration of African Americans than any other race at 35%. As of now, he is leaning towards attending Stanford University as an engineering major; however, regardless of where he ends up in the fall, Muhammad will remain involved with Kit’s Cubed in addition to passing on some responsibility to the rest of his team and other rising seniors that will remain at Oakland Technical High School.
“We want to create this cycle of science and community that can exist with or without me,” Muhammad said. More than anything, Muhammad wants to show young kids that they don’t have to wait to start working towards their goals. He says, “you can create something right now!”
Photo Courtesy of Ahmed Muhammad
To learn more about Kit’s Cubed and their science kits, click here!
