Bellmon, Harris present check to organization tackling racial, gender inequities in mathematics
Rep. Anthony Bellmon June 20, 2025 | 3:50 PM
PHILADELPHIA, June 20- Today, state Rep. Anthony Bellmon and Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Jordan Harris, both D-Phila., presented a check worth $125,000 in state funding to the organization Black Girls Love Math.
BGLM was founded five years ago by Atiyah Harmon, who had spent two decades in the education system as a math teacher, principal and administrator.
Harmon noticed that many Black girls in Philadelphia were struggling in school with mathematics and that these results stemmed from an increasing disinterest in the subject. To combat this issue, she started BGLM and committed their work to eradicating racial and gender inequity in mathematics.
Her findings were backed up by a 2024 Vanderbilt University study, which found that 71% of Black girls expressed a negative math identity. Additionally, this study found that 86% of Black girls were unaware of the necessity of advanced math for their future aspirations.
“When you couple the inequities that predominantly Black schools face with findings of massive disinterest and unawareness of the importance of such a crucial subject, it could spell a recipe for disaster for our youth,” Bellmon said. “We are very fortunate to have a dedicated, aspirational leader in our community in Ms. Harmon, who is constantly working to put an end to this cycle. Her organization is paving pathways to success for so many young Black girls in our community, and I can’t wait to see their work continue with these state dollars they’ve earned.”
“Black Girls Love Math is doing the kind of transformational work our communities need -- uplifting young Black girls, building confidence, and creating opportunities in STEM fields where they’ve long been underrepresented,” Harris said. “This $125,000 investment isn’t just about funding a program; it’s about affirming the brilliance of our young people and ensuring they have every resource to succeed.”
Some of the work BGLM has done includes successful partnerships with schools to provide curriculum, expose girls to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers, and hold competitions challenging girls to solve social justice issues impacting their communities with math knowledge.