Much like the history of the United States, the story of the tech industry cannot be told fully and completely without highlighting the contributions of Black technologists.
Melba Roy Mouton led the group of “human computers” featured in the film and book “Hidden Figures” and served as NASA’s head computer programmer in the 1960s. Dr. Mark Dean was instrumental in the development of IBM’s first personal computer, the color PC monitor and the first 1-gigahertz chip. Kimberly Bryant, a technologist with decades of experience in the corporate world, is helping democratize tech education through her nonprofit, Black Girls CODE, whose goal is to train 1 million African-American girls and teenagers to code by 2040.
Black technologists helped build tech into what it is today, and yet the industry still has a staggering diversity gap. Black History Month provides an opportunity for tech companies to discuss these and other uncomfortable truths, along with the accomplishments of African Americans in both technology and numerous other industries. To get an idea of how Los Angeles tech is celebrating Black History Month, we sat down with Leaf Group’s VP of DEI and Talent Management, Tara Turk-Haynes.
Turk-Haynes filled us in on some of her company’s plans to celebrate National Freedom Day along with her team’s broader DEI goals.
In honor of Black History Month, what is your company doing this year to celebrate Black history?
We are focusing our DEI efforts this year on education, as we believe education helps us learn more about one another so that we can have more informed discussions about the variety of our backgrounds. One way we are doing that for Black History Month is to present a screening of Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13TH” to honor February 1st as National Freedom Day, the day the 13th Amendment was signed to abolish slavery.
We will have an informal discussion and provide a curated reading list to support the valuable information in the documentary. We will also highlight the invaluable work of our brands, which will include artists’ collections and articles on the Black experience. In addition, we are using the month to kick off our DEI learning platform, Eskalera, and will feature a virtual fireside Q&A with the platform’s co-founder Dr. Tolanda Tolbert..
Our goal is to create the most equitable and inclusive environment for all of our people, including our underrepresented groups.”
What are some ongoing programs, initiatives or benefits your company offers to support and empower Black employees throughout the year?
Our goal is to create the most equitable and inclusive environment for all of our people, including our underrepresented groups. We empower our people by providing opportunities to join employee resource groups and participate in our companywide DEI council to foster community across our companies, share knowledge and come together for innovation. Our intranet has a wealth of information and opportunities.
