[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here was an article written on Vox today detailing the 2018 National Urban League report on the state of Black America. The study shows that we are barely represented in the tech industry although we are some of the top users across social media platforms.
“In the vast majority of [social media and tech] companies, fewer than five percent of the workforce is African-American,” the authors of the report note. By contrast, at least half of the workforce in these companies is white.”
“And this is largely because the tech industry has failed to hire black STEM grads and transition them into careers in Silicon Valley, where many of these jobs are based.”
This article reminded me of a business venture that rapper Nipsey Hussle recently embarked on with real-estate developer David Gross. Both are South Central natives who used their influence and wealth to create opportunities for business people and kids to learn STEM. They hope that Vector 90 will bridge the gap between inner city youth and jobs and opportunities in Silicon Valley.
Video: Big Boy’s Neighborhood
*Speaks on Vector 90 around 10:45*
“In our culture, there’s a narrative that says, ‘Follow the athletes, follow the entertainers and that’s cool but there should be something that says, ‘Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.’ I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that’s waving that flag,” Nipsey Hussle told the LA Times.
Video: CBSLA
Read More:
- The digital revolution is leaving black people behind
- With a newly opened STEM center and a revolutionary marketing strategy, Nipsey Hussle is music’s biggest disruptor
