Yet many young African Americans feel little connection between the culture of science, engineering, and technology and their own experiences and values. After all, the world of scientific discovery as most Americans know it came of age in Europe at a time when participation was limited to an elite group of men. Today's African American youths see few faces like their own among scientists and technologists. They hear few voices that sound like their own.

In fact, for young African Americans interested in science, computer science, and mathematics, culture - or more succinctly, the lack of cultural relevance - is often a barrier to success in these fields. As they delve into the worlds of science and technology, they see a mostly foreign world and few people who understand the Black experience. Often, they tune out and sometimes miss the chance for careers that could bring personal satisfaction, empowerment, prestige, and financial freedom.

In the last 25 years, Hip Hop Culture has had a powerful impact on fashion, hair styles, speech, music, and other forms of personal expression. And it is a movement native to disenfranchised urban African American, Afro-Caribbean, and Puerto Rican youths, who invented their own way to express their views and share their experiences. MiX TAPEStry intends to tap into this positive aspect of Hip Hop Culture in order to shape positive attitudes about IT and science. (Text by Allison Clark, used with permission.)

Ultimately MiX TAPEStry aims to help African American young people realize that math, science, and technology are part of their culture too, and that African Americans have an important role to play in scientific exploration, engineering feats, and technology innovations.