The stakes are high when it comes to equity in computer science education and in the broader tech industry. That’s not just because tech is a key to economic opportunity in America these days, but it’s also because of the social good that comes when everyone has a chance to have a seat at the table to build a better future.
That was the message at “Black Tech Policy Week 2022,” a recent online event hosted by the Black Tech Futures Research Institute.
One session began with the speaker posing a question for the group of Black tech leaders: can you share a moment of joy you’ve seen in your work bringing equity to STEM and computer science.
The session also offered a frank discussion of how to increase opportunity in CS, including what today’s activists and educators can learn from past civil rights issues and struggles for social justice in America.
EdSurge was honored to be asked to moderate the panel, and we’re sharing highlights from the session on this week’s EdSurge Podcast.
The panelists were:
- Dennis Schultz, executive director of the Blacks in Technology Foundation,
- Fay Cobb Payton, chief program officer at the Kapor Center,
- Meka Egwuekwe, executive director of Code Crew, a mentorship-based youth coding initiative, and
- Nicol Howard, an associate professor and co-director of the Race in Education Analytics Learning Lab at the University of Redlands.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts, or use the player on this page.
