Why are there so few Black or Asian skeptics?

When I look at the pictures from major meetings of national or international meetings of SKEPTICS, or attend such gargerings in person, I often ask myself:

Why are there so few Black or Asian skeptics?*

Trying to research the answer, one finds several possible explanations:

Science, racism, trust

For many Black communities, the history of medicine and science includes Tuskegee, Henrietta Lacks, forced sterilization, and other abuses that were justified in “scientific” language. This legacy can understandably foster suspicion toward institutions that present themselves as guardians of “science” or “rationality”. When skeptical organisations then look very white and middle‑class, they can be perceived as aligned with the same institutions that historically harmed these communities.

In that context, a Black person may be personally critical of superstition and pseudoscience but not feel that joining a mainly white skeptical association is in their interest or aligned with their primary struggles, which may centre on racism, policing, or economic inequality rather than homeopathy or ghost busting.

Different priorities and “linked fate”

Many Black Americans report a strong sense of “linked fate”: what happens to Black people as a group is perceived as happening to them personally. That tends to channel activism toward civil-rights–oriented movements, churches, or community organisations rather than abstract “science advocacy” or secular-skeptic clubs.

So, the issue is not necessarily a lack of skeptical thinking, but that energies are directed towards challenges that feel more existentially pressing: discrimination, policing, housing, schooling, and health inequities. From inside those struggles, debunking astrology or acupuncture may seem like a luxury concern, or even a distraction pushed by people who do not share the same views.

Asian “model minority” and conformity pressures

For many Asian communities, there is a different but related dynamic. In North America and parts of Europe, Asians are often cast as hardworking, quiet, technically competent, and apolitical. This stereotype rewards conformity and discourages public confrontation, especially with majority institutions. Publicly criticizing religious traditions, so-called alternative medicine, or family elders’ beliefs can thus carry a significant social cost.

At the same time, Asian-origin populations also experience racism, but often in a way that minimizes their grievances: they are told that they are doing “better” and therefore should not complain. In such a setting, aligning oneself with explicitly “white-coded” skeptical organisations can risk being used as a wedge against other minorities or being seen as rejecting one’s own culture.

Culture of skeptical movements

Organized skeptical and secular movements historically emerged from highly educated, often male, often white, often middle‑class networks in Europe and North America. Their imagery, leadership, and priorities reflect that origin: emphasis on evolution vs. creationism, New Atheism, and critiques of Christian fundamentalism, rather than, say, the intersection of racism, religion, and health.

Such movements can appear:

• Culturally narrow (little attention to non‑Western religions or folk practices except as “targets”)
• Blind to racial power structures (e.g., defending “science” without acknowledging racist uses of science)
• Hostile to religion in general, even when churches serve as important community centres for marginalized groups

The above-mentioned phenomena (Iam sure theree are more, and I would be gratedful, if readers could list more) might generate a sense amongst black and Asian communities that the organised skeptics are “not for us” – even amongst individuals who are personally secular, tational, and critical of pseudoscience.

But, of course, there are many Black and Asian skeptics. The ability to think critically is by no means a white monopoly. These guys form their own networks (e.g., Black humanist groups, Secular Buddhists) or they remain more locally embedded rather than visible in mainstream skeptical conferences. Personally, I would welcome, if Black and Asian people would join mainstream skeptics in greater number, and if mainstream skepic organisations would realise that they must make a greater effort to attract them.

*To be honest, I have no figures to back up my impression, and I was unable to find reliable statistics. But I do think that my impression is nonetheless correct.