After the Minneapolis police killed George Floyd and the subsequent racial justice riot, many tech people shouted from the rooftops that "Black Lives Matter", despite having poor representation of black and Latinx people in their companies. In some cases, these companies' proclamations of "Black Lives Matter" have proven particularly performant in contrast to their respective stances on Trump and selling their technology to law enforcement.
However, this has led to a greater focus on diversity, inclusion and equity in the tech sector. If you're wondering things like "Where do I find the black and brown talent?" or saying, "I would invest in Black and Latinx people if I could find them!" then this is for you.
Below, you'll discover some of the issues at stake, some of the key organizations working in this space, and access a glossary of frequently used terms in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion in technology.
The data
- The major tech companies are predominantly white and male. Facebook, for example, is only 3.9% black, 6.3% Latinx, and 37% female.
- In 2018, the founders raised only 2.2% of US venture capital dollars.
- Less than 10 percent of decision makers in VC companies in the United States are women.
- According to McKinsey's 2020 report, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity in executive teams are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.
- According to McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity outperform those in the fourth quartile by 36% in terms of profitability.
- Latinx women make up less than 2% of female-led startups, according to Digital Undivided.
- Since 2009, according to Digital Undivided, women of color have received only 0.06% of all venture funds.
- Black women earn 79 cents for every dollar white men earn in the tech industry, according to Hired.
Glossary of terms
Below you will find a list of terms commonly used when talking about diversity, fairness and inclusion.
- ableism: Discrimination that favors the able-bodied.
- Partner in crime: Someone who uses their privilege to actively support change regarding BIPOC, women, disabled people and so on. An example of this is a white person who denounces racism in the workplace.
- Ally: A more passive version of an accomplice. An example of an ally is someone who supports the cause but cannot get involved.
- Anti-racist: "Being anti-racist means thinking that nothing is behaviorally wrong or right - lower or higher - with any of the racial groups. Whenever the antiracist sees individuals behaving positively or negatively, the antiracist sees exactly this: individuals behaving positively or negatively, not representatives of entire races. Being anti-racist means deracializing behavior, removing the tattooed stereotype from any racialized body. "- Ibram X. Kendi
- BIPOC: Blacks, natives and people of color. This term is an alternative to simply saying "people of color", which fails to recognize the unique experiences and difficulties of black (slavery) and indigenous (genocide) people in the United States.
- cisgender: Person whose sex corresponds to the sex assigned at birth.
- Cultural adaptation: Code for "looks like me, think like me", which can lead to homogeneous workplaces.
- Diversity Report: An often annual report in which tech companies show the demographic breakdown of their employees.
- Equality: Treat everyone equally, regardless of any structural barriers to discrimination.
- Equity: Treat people fairly and fairly that takes into account systemic discrimination and other structural barriers.
- Non-conforming sex: People who identify without a specific gender.
- Imposter syndrome: When people doubt their worth and achievements and fear being exposed as a fraud.
- intersectionality: The concept that people face different layers of discrimination due to their intersecting identities related to race, gender, class, sexual orientation, etc. For women and trans people of color, the oppressive institutions of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia all come into play and cannot be examined separately.
- Microaggression: Random comments, behaviors, or actions that are driven by underlying biases about a particular race, gender, sexuality, or other characteristics. A classic example of this is saying to a black person, "You're so articulate!" or, "You are the whitest black person I know!" The former suggests that blacks are rarely articulate, while the latter implies that the behavior of the black person does not fit the stereotypical ideas of Blackness society.
- Performing: Engage in wake-up conversation without engaging in wake-up action.
- Pipeline problem: A misconception that the lack of diversity in technology is the result of too few Black and Latinx people interested in technology.
- Transgender: Person whose gender identity does not match the sex assigned at birth.
- Unconscious biases: Also known as implicit bias, these are underlying beliefs that people have about certain groups of people that are fueled by stereotypes. Over the years, however, some have argued that these kinds of biases aren't all that unconscious.
- White privilege: The benefits and perks people have for simply being white in society. More here.
DE&I Landscape
Diversity, inclusion and equity are not just about hiring and recruiting people of color. It touches on all aspects of the tech industry, including venture capital and the gig economy, where many of its workers are black, indigenous or people of color.
Common wisdom is that it's best to start focusing on your startup's diversity and inclusion efforts as soon as possible. And by "before" we mean now.
Below you will find an overview of the organizations active in this space. Whether you're looking to bolster your recruiting efforts, implement training on unconscious or allied bias, seek mentorship, get funding, or connect with other workers, there's something here for you.
This guide is not complete but is meant to serve as a starting point for those who don't quite know where to start. As for the next steps, we recommend that you get in touch with one of those organizations described above that have piqued your interest.