An Excerpt from My Angry Black Female Tech Manifesto
After responding to yet another major online periodical that is not savvy enough ‘to do their research,’ ‘PC’ enough to care, smart enough or simply aware enough to consider some DIVERSITY in their ‘Top 10 Lists,’ I am PISSED off. I have made it my point to stay level headed during my seven-year tenure as a Black female technology and social media entrepreneur. I have ignored ‘influence scales’ with totally hapless standards, that beyond excluding my colleagues of color in the industry, should have no real weight in influence metrics at all. I have shaken off rejection after rejection to speak at conferences on a subject that I helped to shape, as one of the people working to create this less than 10 year old industry, as a thought leader that can truly call myself one, due to endless hours of research, sleepless nights, and demonstrated success in my field. Saying, well at “least there is one woman of color” on the panel, and cringing at those words even coming from my mouth. I have seen my colleagues of color do the same. I have allowed ignorant, unaware and futile CEOs of major organizations to say things like “I don’t see the case for minority inclusion in my organization,” and not respond for fear of more rejection for myself and my minority colleagues… I have read countless studies delineating minorities as the largest consumers of tech and wondered why there are so few minority tech CEOs. I have sat in front of my TV to watch CNN’s Black In America: The New Promised Land – Silicon Valley as if it was the second coming of Jesus, only to see my colleagues shortchanged, having the major focus be on topics like interracial dating, police brutality, and other plight of the ‘Black Man/ Woman’ stories and not their start-up brands, credentials or the truly triumphant feat of creating a minority accelerator.
Today I am fed up and I have got to say something!
What about Kristal High (@DigitalEconoMS)? Kristal High of Politic365 launched a self-funded blog focused on multi-cultural politics and opinion in under a year. She was too frustrated by the lack of diversity in the online space, and felt her voice was often stifled by blogs like Forbes, who through their prestige can afford to leave out minorities in their ‘Top 10′ posts (but I digress). Politic365 has become a repository of up-to-the-minute news, fact, and opinion, and have launched numerous online campaigns around minority inclusion or lack thereof. Spreading needed awareness, self-starting and moreover, self-funding in this economy (!) is another way to measure influence. Don’t you agree?
Do you watch The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (AWB)? Issa Rae (@IssaRae), another self-starter, created her own media brand online, barring the racism AND sexism of the Film and TV industries. She wrote roles for her friends and colleagues that were equally as qualified as their counterparts, but… for some strange reason… couldn’t quite land the roles. *sigh* AWB garners 50,000 unique views per episode on the low side, has raised over $50,000 on Kickstarter, has numerous offers to buy her property, and is receiving an award from the Minority Media and Telecom Council (MMTC) at their Broadband and Social Justice Conference in 2012. Umm, are you seeing a theme here? I would call this influential…
This post was not really an excerpt from my Angry Black Female Tech Manifesto or even a ’Top Ten Retaliation,’ but the best way that I could champion one of the most amazing opportunities I will ever experience: The ability to go from consumer to publisher, and hope to enact change for something and the someones I believe in. I challenge online periodicals from Forbes to Black Enterprise to not only be in innovative, seeking out-of-the-box ways to measure influence, but to incorporate diversity into everything they do, and understand the importance of doing so. If they don’t, well that’s a whole other post, which I don’t mind writing too.
Richard Montgomery says:
I agree with your commentary. It's a shame but it is not a shock. Luckily we are dealing with the social media space that allows for rebuttal and continued conversations on the issues. Having met and engaged with the women you speak of....I know their work will continue to be a beacon of light that shows that Black Diva Geeks Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!