By Steven Aldrich & Bärí a. Williams
If companies are forward-thinking in their application of predictive analytics, AI, and machine learning they can make these technologies inclusive, and available and relevant to all people.
Imagine crafting an ad only for white people. Maybe you narrow down the targeting to a certain location and slice out certain ages for good measure. That might make sense if you’re trying to sell a cream-colored foundation in your Manhattan boutique, but you’d be ill-advised to try it for advertising housing or jobs — because it’s against the law.
Discussing her work at Apple at an event last week about fighting racial injustice, Denise Young Smith, the company’s vice president of diversity and inclusion, said, “There can be 12 white, blue-eyed, blond men in a room and they’re going to be diverse, too, because they’re going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation.”
It’s almost that time of year when America’s top tech companies release their annual reports offering the public a glimpse into the number of underrepresented employees across their ranks.While they offer a glance into how companies are faring in the diversity department, they don’t tell the full story.
These vital lessons resonated with me and they can help guide you, as well.
The beauty of the Black family, since arriving on these shores, has been multi-generational families and extended communities to comprise your village. Grandparents, in particular, are people you saw at least three times a week, if not everyday. The backbone of those families are Black women, and fabulous matriarchies. My lineage is no different. My grandmother was my favorite person on earth, and before beginning a nine-year battle with Alzheimer’s and succumbing in 2014, she imparted much wisdom.
It’s almost that time of year when America’s top tech companies release their annual reports offering the public a glimpse into the number of underrepresented employees across their ranks. Uber kick started it when the ride-hailing company released its figures this Spring; during the summer months ahead, other tech companies are expected to release their reports. While they offer a glance into how companies are faring in the diversity department, they don’t tell the full story.
The Uber fallout of recent weeks makes something my grandmother used to tell me more important than ever now: “To get something you don’t have, you’ll have to do something you haven’t done. You’re a black woman. So, to do that, you’ll have to work twice as hard to get half as far.”
However, the onus isn’t just on us. There are two things tech must acknowledge and fix to make a change...