Happy Presidents Day! In this week in tech racism: Trump; a new study from the Society for Human Resource Management reveals a hurdle to overcome in diversifying Silicon Valley; no more black shooting targets; and more.
SHRM: ‘ ‘Brogrammer’ Attitude May Hinder Technology Diversity’
The Society for Human Resource Management cites a study on 1,000 tech workers as the basis for finding that a pervasive “brogramming†culture in technology is what is keeping people of color and women on the outskirts. This culture is described as “frat-boyâ€-ish; “jet set, skirt-chasing, bottle-popping,†white dudes. SHRM says this study and others referred to in the article provide that to diversify tech, “culture and attitude need to be addressed.â€
Twitter Loses It over First Black Bachelorette
ABC’s The Bachelorette announced its first-ever black “bachelorette,†Rachel Lindsay. The fact that this is the first black woman to appear is bad enough, as Entity Mag notes, “considering Rachel is African-American and the show, in its 33 seasons, has never had a black lead,†but her casting, of course, brought out the racists across the internet. People accused ABC of “filling a quota†and many sounded off on Lindsay’s level of attractiveness.
Trump Insults Black Woman Journalist, Social Media has Thunderous Response
Trump’s press conference this week was bombastic and filled with inaccuracies. There was also a moment of racism witnessed by the TV audience in real time–and responded to across social media by thousands. See the social media outcry after the president insulted a veteran political journalist during his press conference.
San Diego Police Target African American Children for Unlawful DNA Collection
The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports on a very disturbing practice by San Diego law enforcement: “According to the ACLU’s complaint, on March 30, 2016, police officers stopped five African American minors as they were walking through a park in southeast San Diego. There was no legal basis for the stop. As an officer admitted at a hearing in June 2016, they stopped the boys simply because they were black and wearing blue on what the officers believed to be a gang “holiday.â€
Website Calls for Ending the Use of Silhouetted Targets on Shooting Ranges
#NoMoreBlackTargets.com launched a petition to end the use of silhouetted targets on shooting ranges, suggesting the dark color of the targets creates “unconscious bias.â€