Article summary
In April, I spoke at a developer conference in Detroit called Hacking With The Homies. During my talk, I mentioned one thing I was warned about as a budding engineer: I might be the only one of my demographic working in the company. While this has proven not to be the case in many instances, it’s still something common in many adjacent communities. Let this be your motivation to push forward into this career — if not because you’re already valuable, but to prove to others that they can do it too.
Being an Example
One thing I noted in the panel I spoke on was the lack of colleagues who shared my background. I was one of, if not the only, black students in most of my classes for the first three or four years of my computer science degree. It was disheartening to see a lack of compatriots trying to follow this career path. However, I didn’t want to let this stop me; not just because I wanted to do this, but also because I understood how much of an impact my path could have on others.
There are a lot of people from the community who don’t believe or are not aware this is an option for them. I hope that the fact that I made it to the point of being a successful software developer will be a great source of motivation for those unsure of their abilities.
Many of Us
Moreover, I am definitely not the only example in this field. At Hacking With The Homies, the CEO of JustAir spoke about his company and where they are now. For context, they gather air quality data and provide it to citizens to protect and inform them of outside conditions. The company has been successful in setting up multiple air quality monitors throughout Michigan. To be more specific, the majority of these monitors are located in the metro Detroit area.
Like myself, the CEO of JustAir is also Black. If anything, he would serve as a greater example than myself to those who doubt their ability to succeed. As they say, the sky truly is the limit. We can and will go far.
You Can, Too
Fear not — there are many jobs out there with people like us! One such place you can find them is at the aforementioned Hacking With The Homies conference. Aside from the talks and panels about our experiences in the industry, there are also networking opportunities. One such speaker also detailed an adjacent event in which there are many Black-owned tech companies searching for employees. Further, if your ambitions are loftier than a full-time position, there are opportunities to attend as an employer yourself. Just as you can find employment at the conference, you can find others seeking it from you.