HP Computers are Racist

Diversifying Your Tech and Online Communications Teams

Allyson Kapin, Rad Campaign & Women Who TechIvan Boothe, Rootwork

Shireen Mitchell, Digital SistasJocelyn Harmon, Care2

Let’s talk

• What is diversity?• So what and who cares?• How do you make your

organization, team, coalition, etc. more diverse?

• Resources and good reads

What Does Diversity Mean to You?

Diversity is not

• Serving communities of color.

• Having one black programmer or senior team member.

• About sacrificing quality. (Offensive Argument Often Used in Fighting Quotas.)

Diversity is not

• Creating a tech product in a silo.

• Having a communications team comprised mostly of men or women who are intimidated to speak up about naming your product after a tampon.

#ITampon became the number 1 trend on Twitter and out paced Apple’s #Ipad!

Diversity is

• About process and people.• Good for business. It feeds innovation and

enhances competitiveness.• About leadership, creativity and multiple

perspectives.• Inclusion!

The U.S. is Changing. How Does your Nonprofit Measure Up?

The US population iscomprised of over 50% women and 40%+ people of color. - US Census Bureau.

“The census calculates that by 2042, Americans who identify themselves as Hispanic, black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander will together outnumber non-Hispanic whites.”– The NYTimes

Generation Y is the Most Diverse

“Generation Y is proving more diverse (and open) than any preceding generation, with many more young people of color, first- and second- generation immigrants and mixed-race individuals.”- Convergence: How Five Trends Will Shape the Social Sector, La Piana Associates

Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans Vote! Is your Online Communications Team Connecting

to these Constituents?

“During the 2008 Presidential election, voter turnout increased by about “2 million more black voters, 2 million more Hispanic voters and about 600,000 more Asian voters, while the number of non-Hispanic white voters remained statistically unchanged,” - US Census Bureau.

Unfortunately, We’re Not a Diverse Sector.

“92 percent of national nonprofits headquartered in Washington, DC are led by white executive directors.” –Racial Diversity Collaborative & Urban Institute

What is the demographic make up of your tech and online communications

team?

Does this Look Familiar?A Snapshot of Nonprofit Boards!

• 86% of nonprofit board members are non-Hispanic white.

• 7% black• 4% Hispanic• 4% Asian• Larger budget = more men

Francie Ostrower, Nonprofit Governance in the US: Findings on Performance and Accountability from the First National Representative Study

So What! Who Cares?3 Reasons Diversity is Good for Nonprofits

1. Raise more money– Women make contributions to twice as many charitable organization as

men do.*– Black women are more likely to give to charity than White women (in

households with incomes of $25,000 or more), and they are more likely to give in excess of $1,000. What’s more, people of color are more likely to give when asked for a donation, but are asked less oftenthan their White counterparts.*

– More diverse boards = more diverse funding streams.

*The She Spot: Why Women are the Market for Changing the World and How to Reach Them – Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen

So What! Who Cares?3 Reasons Diversity is Good for Nonprofits

2. Enhance your outreach– Diversity on staff can help you reach and connect

with diverse communities.

3. Build better products/programs/services– HP video resulted in public backlash.– Facebook’s lack of measurement of membership

demographics has implications for nonprofit Fan Pages and outreach! Do we know who we are really reaching?

5 Tips for Making Your Online Communications TeamsMore Diverse

1. Map your network and empower the edges.2. Meet new folks (lots of them!).3. Learn about a community vs. stumbling into a

it and trying to represent people you don’t know.

4. “Open the door.”5. Tap into affinity networks.

Lets Get Tactical: Key Questions to Answer

• Who is missing from this debate/constituency?

• Where do they “live?”• Do the people on your

staff have relationships with them?

• What tools should we be using to reach diverse audiences?

Lets Get Tactical: Key Questions to Answer

• Are you questioning your social assumptions?

• Is leadership invested?• What would this

coalition/program/service/application look like if we looked thru a “diversity lens?”

Resources for you• The She Spot: Why Women are the Market for Changing the World

and How to Reach Them – Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen• Beyond the Echo Chamber: Reshaping Politics Through Progressive

Networked Media – Jessica Clark and Tracy Van Slyke• Hi5: Entertainment based social network comprised of mostly young

(18-34). 75% of Hi5 members are people of color. http://www.hi5.com• Blogging While Brown: Conference on bloggers of color.

http://www.bloggingwhilebrown.com/• Center for Media Justice: Uses strategic communications and media

activism to build a powerful movement for racial justice, economic equity, and human rights. http://centerformediajustice.org/

More resources for you

• Women Who Tech: Champions women in technology. http://www.womenwhotech.com

• Latism in Social Media: An organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin. http://latism.org/

• Blogalicious: Conference for women bloggers of color. http://www.blogaliciousweekend.com/

• MiGente.com: Latino-American social network - http://www.migente.com

• Black Planet: Online social networking site for the African American community. http://www.blackplanet.com/

• Black Web 2.0: Destination for African-American’s in technology and new media. http://www.blackweb20.com/