African American History Month: Let's Bridge the Gap

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” dedicated his life’s work to lobbying for the recognition of African Americans’ contributions to this great nation. In February we celebrate African American history in the United States. It has been recognized by every U.S. president since 1976 when it became prominent under President Gerald Ford. Other countries including Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom celebrate their own black history months to commemorate the contributions of their citizens of African heritage. In the words of Woodson, “those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

For me, it means standing on the shoulders of great inspiring leaders and societal world changers such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Jackie Robinson, and Shirley Chisholm. It also a time to reflect on how far African Americans have come and how much further there is still to go in bridging the gap on equality. In a time of rapid technological advancements and instant access to information from virtually anywhere on the planet with an internet connection; there continues to be gaps in minority representation in tech jobs.

How can we bridge the gap? Below are some quick recommendations:

• Look & lift – Many employers tend to focus on graduates and those currently enrolled in universities aligned to their campus recruitment program. Could it be they are overlooking talented individuals with potential who are unable to attend a four year college but are enrolled in a two year community college? Also, could they be overlooking students attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) with a strong technology curriculum? Taking the time to look beyond the normal sources enables companies to lift talent while simultaneously creating a strong diverse pipeline.
• Inspire the desire – did any of us really know in elementary school what we wanted to do when we grew up? Chances are most of us are working in very different careers than we imagined as a child. Exposing children in diverse and under-served communities to the inner workings of technology and the unlimited possibilities beyond what they know and see can inspire the desire to pursue a higher education.  
•  Know before you go – job fairs can be hit or miss depending on the broad skills of the candidates who attend. Recruiters should ask the host of the fair for analytics of skill sets and demographics of past events and match to the current registrations metrics to make a determination if they will get a positive ROI for participating. Companies don’t have to wait for the next diversity job fair; they can plan their own event and leverage diverse community partners to help match talent to available opportunities.  

In honor of African-American history month, take time to think what you can do to make a difference. We all can do something when we leverage the strength of our differences for an equal and inclusive society. In the words of Harriet Tubman, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."