Business
Why We Need Black Computer Programmers
There will be over 2.1 million jobs available by 2020 in the STEM field, and with only 5 percent of bachelors degrees in engineering going to African Americans, a lot of those in-demand, high-paying jobs will be inaccessible to the black community. Companies see this and are acting to make it easier for underprivileged youth to get involved in the sciences. Lockheed Martin donated $6 million for STEM initiatives in urban school districts, for example.
There have definitely been advancements in getting black developers and engineers into the workforce, and one would be remiss to not recognize those like Verizon’s Michelle Dutton or Microsoft Chairman John Thompson, who serve as examples of change within the industry.
Black Enterprise will most certainly put on another Hackathon, not only to show support for the tech community, but to help those participating to find their way into it. I say this to show that the future is looking bright for the black tech community. And we’re making progress every day.
Copyright Black Enterprise Magazine 2014
