A letter from our founder

Dear Reader,

To all community members and stakeholders - students, parents, creatives, professionals, administrators, and innovators - we are at an inflection point in society where we can’t go back to the status quo. Today, we have an opportunity to reimagine the world we want to live in. We Are Tech is here to empower people of color to create systems that sustain that reimagined change through technology.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about We Are Tech! My name is Brittany Jenkins, and I created We Are Tech to address the injustices that exclude Black people from the benefits of technology, and the tech industry. I am a Black Woman who has experienced and witnessed how disparities in tech - such as, unconscious bias, unethical employment practices, lack of tech access, and digital illiteracy - negatively impact a person’s socio-economic enfranchisement. I firmly believe the liberation of all communities of color can be found in the liberation of Black people; and that liberation for Black people is found in the liberation of Black Women.

We Are Tech is a manifestation of my liberation as a Black Woman. Through this organization, I intend to build industry pipelines and produce educational programming that provides pathways for all communities of color to discover and maximize our full potential through technology. With liberation at our core, We Are Tech is designed to empower people of color to further establish our self-sufficiency, self-awareness, and self-confidence.

We live in a world where, now more than ever, it’s important that we believe in ourselves, and our abilities, to create the world we want to live in. But first we must acknowledge the shoulders of activists we stand on, and the future generations that will stand on our shoulders to continue progress. Due to the professionals of color that have come before me, Diversity and Inclusion have become growing initiatives in the tech industry. To add to that work, We Are Tech is focused on fostering full and transparent Equity for people of color in tech. Our organization intends to hold tech companies accountable, by creating connections between education, tech, and cultural context to improve their internal systems and practices that overtly and covertly impact the livelihood of communities of color.

Our communities of color today and tomorrow need your undying support and conviction. We look forward to having you apart of our community!

Peace,

Brittany Jenkins