Minorities in Aquaculture: A Conversation with Imani Black

Megan Ossmann, Blog writer for HerChesapeake • April 13, 2022

Oysters. Photo: Kate Baucherel from Pixabay

On February 10, HerChesapeake hosted a conversation with Imani Black, the founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture (MIA). The mission of MIA is to educate women of color on the environmental benefits of aquaculture and support them as they launch and sustain their careers in the field, with the hopes of expanding the seafood industry and creating an empowering space for women.

Imani Black shared her inspiration and vision for MIA, the challenges she faced while building a non-profit from the ground up, and the importance of making aquaculture a more inclusive and diverse space and elevating the voices of the members of this community.

We are grateful to her for sharing her story, and for this space that HerChesapeake and MIA provided for people from all over the country to learn from each other and make connections.

(Interview answers were edited for clarity).

Imani Black, founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture.

Photo: Caroline J Phillips, with permission

Can you share with us a brief synopsis of what Minorities in Aquaculture is and how it is accomplishing its mission?

MIA is a nonprofit that I started in 2020. I had been in the oyster aquaculture industry in Maryland and Virginia for about six years and had never seen another person of color in a leadership role. I didn’t even recognize this until 2020, when the conversations about diversity and inclusion heightened.

I wanted to create a network for women of color, at first just to find and connect with them, but now it has grown into a headquarters for women of color that are working or are interested in working in aquaculture. We are growing a community where we can not only support each other during our issues and work challenges, but also provide skills and resources to further advance our members’ careers through internship programs, partnerships with environmental and aquaculture organizations, and a mini-grant program that provides funding for career-building opportunities.

Can you tell us about your background and what led you to entering the aquaculture field?

It was unexpected. I went to Old Dominion University, where I became interested in oceanography, but I wasn’t exactly sure what path in the environmental field I wanted to take. During a study abroad trip in Belize, I got an understanding of what the academia pathway was like and decided that I wanted to do more hands-on-the-ground work.

I got an internship with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation doing oyster restoration in Virginia and fell in love with it. My boss encouraged me to apply for an internship program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which gave me a six-month introduction to aquaculture and I’ve continued on this path ever since.

Can you tell us about the women who are members of MIA? Do their stories mirror yours?

In 2020, I had a lot of conversations with Black women about their roles in marine science. I realized that we all had commonalities, and that even though we weren’t doing the exact same thing we were experiencing similar struggles. These conversations empowered me because I realized that I wasn’t alone. At the start of 2021, we only had one member and by end of the year we had gotten up to 40 members, mostly from the East and West coasts but we also have four international women of color.

The biggest commonality among all of our members is that I’m usually the first woman of color they have ever seen in aquaculture. They are all on different paths and at different points in their career. I’m just the driver and they are giving me direction because I want this to be all that they need.

Can you speak to the importance of making aquaculture a more inclusive space?

When you look at the history of the Chesapeake Bay, minorities have had a huge contribution to the evolution of fisheries over several decades. Now, we are seeing a legacy that went from over 900 active members on the water to only nine, all over the age of 60. We pride ourselves on the Chesapeake Bay, so for me it’s about elevating this part of the legacy.

I come from a 200-year-long line of watermen and didn’t even know it, so it’s important to me to give people this information. Global aquaculture is very diverse, but in the U.S. it is not, so MIA’s goal domestically is to increase diversity in the U.S. Globally, women of color are the backbone of aquaculture, so our global mission is to elevate their voices and provide the resources they need.

What have been your favorite parts of starting and running MIA?

All of it! I’m so grateful for the trajectory of MIA so far. Hearing how impactful it has been gives me drive. The greatest things about it are how I get to connect with people, hear their stories and share mine, and elevate the aquaculture industry which is a focal point for sustainable seafood resources.

What have been some of the more challenging features of MIA?

In the beginning, the biggest challenge was that I didn’t know how to start a nonprofit. Just like any business, you don’t know what you don’t know until you know it, so taking the first step is the biggest challenge. You have to take the step into the crazy, into the unknown, into the fear. In everything that I do, I ask myself if it is aligning with the morals and foundation of MIA and of myself, and sometimes it is hard to do it all. In 2022, I will be focusing more on the balance between MIA, my own dreams, and my personal life.

What do you envision for the future of MIA?

My long-term vision for MIA is for it to be a global community and network that provides resources and support for members and empowers and creates opportunities for women of color around the world. My biggest goal is to have people look at a resume, see that that person is a member of MIA, and know that they have great experience and can handle the job. I want MIA to become a resume and household name.

How can others support you and MIA?

Getting the word out, sharing and attending our events, donating, and partnering with us all help in supporting our mission and community.

For questions, inquiries about joining Minorities in Aquaculture, or interest in providing sponsorship or partnership, Imani can be reached at imanib@mianpo.org.

Megan Ossmann was born and raised in Long Island, NY, where she developed a strong connection to the coast and a passion for environmental science. As a relatively new resident to Maryland, she has fallen in love with the Chesapeake Bay and is inspired by the culture and natural beauty of the region, as well as the dedication of all the people working tirelessly to protect and restore the Bay.

HerChesapeake energizes and empowers all women who work or volunteer in a field related to the Chesapeake Bay with services and support that respond to the distinct challenges, biases, inequities, and expectations women experience.

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Megan Outten Launches Campaign for Wicomico County Council, District 7

By Friends of Megan Outten • July 29, 2025

Megan Outten, a lifelong Wicomico County resident and former Salisbury City Councilwoman, officially announced her candidacy recently for Wicomico County Council, District 7. At 33, Outten brings the energy of a new generation combined with a proven record of public service and results-driven leadership. “I’m running because Wicomico deserves better,” Outten said. “Too often, our communities are expected to do more with less. We’re facing underfunded schools, limited economic opportunities, and years of neglected infrastructure. I believe Wicomico deserves leadership that listens, plans ahead, and delivers real, measurable results.” A Record of Action and A Vision for the Future On Salisbury’s City Council, Outten earned a reputation for her proactive, hands-on approach — working directly with residents to close infrastructure gaps, support first responders, and ensure everyday voices were heard. Now she’s bringing that same focus to the County Council, with priorities centered on affordability, public safety, and stronger, more resilient communities. Key Priorities for District 7: Fully fund public schools so every child has the opportunity to succeed. Fix aging infrastructure and county services through proactive investment. Keep Wicomico affordable with smarter planning and pathways to homeownership. Support first responders and safer neighborhoods through better tools, training, and prevention. Expand resources for seniors, youth, and underserved communities. Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — and 85% of students relying on extra resources — she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action. “Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.” A Commitment to Home and Service Born and raised in Wicomico, Megan Outten sees this campaign as a continuation of her lifelong service to her community. Her vision reflects what she’s hearing from neighbors across the county: a demand for fairness, opportunity, and accountability in local government. “Wicomico is my home; it’s where I grew up, built my life, and where I want to raise my family,” Outten said. “Our county is full of potential. We just need leaders who will listen, work hard, and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do on the County Council.” Outten will be meeting with residents across District 7 in the months ahead and unveiling more details of her platform. For more information or to get involved, contact info@meganoutten.com

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By John Christie • July 29, 2025

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The majority claimed that they do not now decide whether Humphrey’s should be overruled because “that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.” However, hinting that these agency members have “considerable” executive power and suggesting that “the Government” faces greater “risk of harm” from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty,” the majority gave the President the green light to proceed. Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissented, asserting that Humphrey’s remains good law until overturned and forecloses both the President’s firings and the Court’s decision to award emergency relief.” Our emergency docket, while fit for some things, should not be used to “overrule or revise existing law.” Moreover, the dissenters contend that the majority’s effort to explain their decision “hardly rises to the occasion.” Maybe by saying that the Commissioners exercise “considerable” executive power, the majority is suggesting that Humphrey’s is no longer good law but if that is what the majority means, then it has foretold a “massive change” in the law and done so on the emergency docket, “with little time, scant briefing, and no argument.” And, the “greater risk of harm” in fact is that Congress provided for these discharged members to serve their full terms, protected from a President’s desire to substitute his political allies. More recently, in the latest shadow docket ruling in the administration’s favor, the same majority of the Court again permitted President Trump to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of another independent agency, this time the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Trump v. Boyle (July 23, 2025). The same three justices dissented, once more objecting to the use of the Court’s emergency docket to destroy the independence of an independent agency as established by Congress. The CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, was designed to operate as “a classic independent agency.” In Congress’s view, that structure would better enable the CPSC to achieve its mission — ensuring the safety of consumer products, from toys to appliances — than would a single-party agency under the full control of a single President. “By allowing the President to remove Commissioners for no reason other than their party affiliation, the majority has negated Congress’s choice of agency bipartisanship and independence.” The dissenters also assert that the majority’s sole professed basis for the more recent order in Boyle was its prior order in Wilcox . But in their opinion, Wilcox itself was minimally explained. So, the dissenters claim, the majority rejects the design of Congress for a whole class of agencies by “layering nothing on nothing.” “Next time, though, the majority will have two (if still under-reasoned) orders to cite. Truly, this is ‘turtles all the way down.’” Rapanos v. United States (2006). * ***** *In Rapanos , in a footnote to his plurality opinion, former Supreme Court Justice Scalia explained that this allusion is to a classic story told in different forms and attributed to various authors. His favorite version: An Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger. When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant, he says it is a giant turtle. When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies "Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down." John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

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By Jan Plotczyk • July 9, 2025

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By Catlin Nchako, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities • May 21, 2025

The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.