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About This Talk
I was motivated to give this talk because of the recent data from the StackOverflow 2021 survey, and a quote I saw. “If they don’t offer you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
I’ve been thinking about the persistent diversity problem in tech and how individuals from historically marginalized communities can move through this industry with that problem in mind.
The numbers speak for themselves. Anything the industry is doing address the lack of diversity in tech isn’t working and we need to be honest about this. At the same time, I believe that individuals need to do whatever they can to keep themselves motivated to stay firmly planted at the table. The most important thing I’ve tried to do is to create a talk that leaves those inspired, motivated, and encouraged to pursue a career in tech. I ask one favor from you. And that is to watch the talk more than once.
Takeaways
- Women played a pivotal role in the early years of computer programming
- There’s a space for you at the table — even though some people might tell you that there isn't.
- If you can’t find the job that makes sense for you (or if you aren't being encouraged by the people around you) there are ways to take matters into your own hands.
Let's Get the Conversation Going
In the comments section, please share any other noteworthy individuals you can think of, past or present, that have been instrumental in computer science & the tech industry.
Slides
>> Click here to download slides
🌈 Comment below and ask me questions — I might just answer them during my live speaker discussion!
About Charlene Kuye
Charlene considers herself an "accidental coder" — never in a million years did she think she'd be working in tech. But, working towards becoming an instructor for Harvard's famous CS50 course was the catalyst for change she needed to enter the field. In 2020, she founded DCODED ACADEMY, an online hub dedicated to teaching and building a diverse community of UX/UI developers and designers.
This on-demand talk is part of CodeLand 2021 — a virtual conference brought to you by CodeNewbie & DEV on September 23 & 24, 2021.
Top comments (58)
Hey everyone, thanks so much for all your comments for Charlene!
Please continue to ask questions that Charlene can answer during the Speaker Discussion later on today!
Thank you for this beautiful and informative talk.
I'd love to learn more about the contributions of women and people from racial minorities in tech's past. Can you recommend any books or other resources to check out?
Thank you again for your powerful talk.
Thank you Sarah. Hidden figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is a nice place to start
Thanks so much for the recommendation!
Hi! Reminder that if you have any questions for @ck1ldn to drop them here! We'll address these questions in the live speaker discussion going on right now. 📣
Such an important message! I recently read "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez and I highly recommend it to anyone. In one chapter it touches on the topic of women in tech and it also speaks about the importance of inclusive datasets in machine learning.
Started reading this book the other day, such an eye-opening read! Should be required reading for anyone in tech.
Only way we're going to make the world inclusive, is to make sure that the industries building the world are inclusive.
I'll check that out. Thank you for the recommendation
Welcome to the discussion for @ck1ldn 's CodeLand 2021 talk! We're looking forward to your comments - and of course, questions questions questions!
Charlene will be addressing some of your questions during the Speaker Discussion later on, so please keep them flowing!
HAHAHAHAHA the space bar is an emery boarddaskjd;sklfj;lfkdjsk;f love it
women started this whole thing (Lovelace, Lamar, Hopper, M. Jackson, Vaughan, K. Johnson are cited as famous examples)
Haha! My thoughts exactly! What a terrible texture for a space bar.
Exactly! right? :)
(Question) As a person who does not fall into any minority category myself, I do see these issues in my present day-to-day. What would you say I could do to help take down these barriers for others, in normal everyday work?
That'a good question Peter. Open doors and invite groups in. Be vocal and visible. Mentor and volunteer if you can. But really, it's about not being afraid to ask questions and to challenge this lack of diversity. So being vocal and honest. We all win, when there's more diversity
Such a great talk! It's inspiring (and, most certainly, frustrating) to hear about the history of women. It sounds like we are on our way to diversifying the tech industry! Thanks for the great talk, Charlene!
Fix your makeup while you work...WOW! The nail file space bar makes my skin crawl :D
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This was such an awesome talk. Thank you for this! As a teenager, I wanted to work in video game design. I got the opportunity to do a program the summer before my senior year of high school where I took some courses at a leading institution for game design. At that program, another participant told me during our final showcase, "You know, at the start of this I thought you were just pretending to like video games, but you're actually pretty good at this."
I ended up not even applying to any programs for game design my senior year, because I knew my life would be filled with comments like this, working to overcome hiring managers and bosses who thought this (or worse), and as a 17-year-old, I couldn't handle it.
The world has changed some since then, but I've changed a lot. After years of working as a professor of music and performing as a professional singer, I decided to pivot to software engineering. I signed up for a bootcamp and developed my first-ever video game this year! It was such an awesome experience.
The idea of making the seat for yourself is so important, as is confronting the internalized biases we have that we direct toward others, exploring the inherent biases we hold without realizing, and using our power to continue to "bring chairs" for others.
Thanks again for the awesome talk!
This really hit home. Thank you for sharing.
I was once told to give up on the python course I was struggling with.."Coz the world will always need janitors" (unquote)
Comments like that are a red rag to a bull for me and I went on to pass the course with a distinction. The rest is history as they say
The history and the way its presented is super engaging!
Wow, such an amazing (and infuriating) history lesson! Thank you Charlene.
Thank you Jeremy. I appreciate you taking the time to watch
My first job, in 1998, had a majority of women developers. And in the years since, it's usually been less and less women developers. I forget if it was you or one of the other awesome presentations, but diversity is the key ingredient to solving problems.
Absolutely! It's a win-win
Charlene, thank you for the talk! So great to learn and be reminded of the contributions to the world from brilliant women (in particular women of color) in tech. Also, I lived through the hurdles culture in school and I'm dismayed, but enlightened on the ill-effects it has had on participants.
Also guessing: Rubber ducking: Talk to the duck (or a friend) and come up with solutions to one's own issues?
Again, thank you!
Thank you so much. Yes, you're right about the rubber duck :)
This was beautiful, thank you.
I really enjoyed this presentation! I often feel like I don't belong as a woman in tech. Being reminded of the immense impact that women have made on this field made me feel inspired and empowered :)
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