The Future of Blacks in Tech

Since the release of Black Panther in 2018, the notion of Black Americans in tech spaces has been brought to the forefront. Black workers make up 7% of people who work in high tech. In comparison, Black Americans make up 13% of the U.S. workforce as a whole, which means they are highly underrepresented in the tech industry. More specifically, Black Americans make up 8.8% of Google’s workforce, 3.9% of Facebook’s, and 4.9% of Microsoft’s.

But with more initiatives going towards funding opportunities to bring more and more Black youth into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields, there is a growing trend upward. Movies like Hidden Figures, Black Panther and Wakanda Forever add a much needed element for Black youth and young adults to see themselves in a space that is often dominated by Whites.

Opportunities are being created and promoted to help continue the AfroTech revolution in an upward direction. With companies like AfroTech, the efforts put forth are well worth it.  AfroTech is a conference and a web platform where the founders and employees of some of the fastest-growing tech startups will present the tactics and strategies they use to grow their products and businesses. They focus on recruiting, premium activation spaces, city specific events, branded panels and workshops, and social campaigns to help close racial disparities within the tech field. Other organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) create opportunities for school-aged children and college students to gain access to resources in the engineering field early on. NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. Founded in 1975, it supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology.

The future of Blacks in tech is promising. At the core of this trend is the ability to shape a future in which representation matters. The more young eyes can envision themselves in tech, the more likely they are to pursue a STEM career. Whether this representation is shown on the big screen, at a large-scale event, or in the community, diversity in innovation will be the promising outcome.