On Sunday, 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed built a homemade clock. It wasn't especially difficult for him, and the result wasn't polished — it looked like a mess of wires and circuitry. He was still adjusting to life as a high schooler, and he wanted to bring in something cool to show his teachers.
Mohamed eagerly showed several teachers the clock and explained what it was, but he didn't get the congratulations he was expecting. Instead, he left school in handcuffs.
I expect they will have more to say tomorrow, but Ahmed's sister asked me to share this photo. A NASA shirt! pic.twitter.com/nR4gt992gB
— Anil Dash (@anildash) September 16, 2015
Young Mohamed's story has drawn accusations of racism and Islamophobia, and many — scientists, technologists and members of the general public alike — are expressing shock and outrage. But as with any incident of discrimination, especially in science, the truth is that we aren't really shocked. And that's the worst part.
The ordeal reminds many of what a young woman named Kiera Wilmot endured in 2013: Wilmot, also a budding scientist, was accused of lighting a chemical fire when one of her experiments went awry. By the time criminal charges were dropped, she had already been expelled from her school.
But in a silver lining, Wilmot was offered a trip to space camp by a NASA veteran.
Many are hoping that Mohamed can have a similar outcome, especially since he's made a heartbreaking vow never to bring an experiment to school again.
It would be so wonderful if @nasa showed support for Ahmed, maybe extending some special invitation, commendation or gift. #IStandWithAhmed
— Dr. SCARE-en James 🍂🕷 (@kejames) September 16, 2015
Already, Mohamed has NASA scientists offering up visits to their labs:
Infact, I think the whole of JPL would welcome Ahmed with open arms. #IStandWithAhmed https://t.co/9FU3ZlHkCi
— Doug Ellison (@doug_ellison) September 16, 2015
Anil Dash, the founder of Makerbase, is collecting ideas for how to help Mohamed — and other kids like him — in a Google survey.
Teachers shouldn't respond to inventive kids by calling the cops. Say how you'll #HelpAhmedMake: http://t.co/8XnRCrTYe8 (Please RT!)
— Anil Dash (@anildash) September 16, 2015
Others are simply going out of their way to show support:
.@IStandWithAhmed Because building a clock is one of the first things would-be electronics geeks do. pic.twitter.com/f3ZteAy2Mo
— Emily Lakdawalla (@elakdawalla) September 16, 2015
How many professional scientists & engineers are thinking this a.m., "...I have no idea how to design and build a clock." ? #IStandWithAhmed
— Molly Peeples (@astronomolly) September 16, 2015
(I mean, seriously — do you? I was a serious little nerdling, and I never learned how to build a clock.)
We #spacetweeps should all wear our NASA t-shirts today, do some science, & see how many of us get mistaken for terrorists. #IStandWithAhmed
— MC Stardust ✨ (@Summer_Ash) September 16, 2015
It's decided: I'm scrubbing my 8th-gd #hackshop curriculum 4 this year. We're making Arduino clocks. #IStandWithAhmed http://t.co/88fa783pSE
— Robert Friedman (@omnignorant) September 16, 2015
And just in case you think this would have happened to any kid who brought a wire-filled invention to his school, well, the tinkerers of Twitter are here to prove you wrong:
when I was in high school a white kid made a rocket and TOLD PEOPLE it was a bomb and still wasn't arrested. #IStandWithAhmed
— fuck the police (@_gumshudaa) September 16, 2015
I brought a syringe to school once for a science project. My privilege quelled the minor freakout #IStandWithAhmed https://t.co/dGzKmOaklp
— Noam Ross (@noamross) September 16, 2015
When I was 17, I built a Geiger counter for iPhone and flew without hassle with nuclear material.#IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/I7aboK6Fu0
— Frederic Jacobs (@FredericJacobs) September 16, 2015
Kids who take pride in their nerdy work should be cherished and nurtured, not cuffed and interrogated. We need to do better.
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