A Perilous Path Through Physics: Obstacles, Supports, and Strategies of Women of Color in Physics
A comic zine inspired by The Double Bind in Physics Education by Dr. Maria Ong
What does it feel like to move through physics when the system was not designed to support your full identity or experience?
A Perilous Path Through Physics is a comic zine that brings to life the journeys of women of color in physics. Created by researcher, educator, and artist Sophie Wang, the zine uses visual metaphor and storytelling to illustrate how barriers, supports, and systemic conditions shape who stays, leaves, or forges new paths in science.
About the Book
The zine is based on The Double Bind in Physics Education by Dr. Maria Ong, published by Harvard Education Press. The book follows ten women of color over 25 years, documenting how pervasive challenges, such as navigating the intersectionality of race and gender discrimination, have shaped their academic opportunities and career choices. Through interviews with the women and those around them, the book highlights how they navigated their programs while facing persistent systemic inequities in physics, pointing to the need for institutional and cultural change.
If the zine piques your interest in the full book, Harvard Education Press has generously provided a 20% discount code for the book with code HCPR26 at checkout! Find the book HERE.
About the Zine
Each section of the zine introduces a theme from the research, provides a short description, and shares anecdotes from study participants. These experiences are brought to life through visual metaphor:
- Obstacles appear as barriers along a path or weights carried on the back.
- Supports appear as guides, tools, or helping hands.
The zine explores how added obstacles, harm from the landscape, restricted access to shortcuts, and moments of support shape the journeys of women of color in physics.
Through its comic format, the zine combines art and research to make complex systems visible and human. It invites readers to reflect, empathize, and spark meaningful discussion about how culture, power, and belonging operate in STEM.
How to Access
A Perilous Path Through Physics is free to download and share. Educators, students, and community groups are encouraged to use it for discussion and reflection in both formal and informal learning settings.
COMING SOON! Hard copies can also be purchased for $12.