Hello Everyone. Thanks for being here today.

o/

Howdy!

Hello everyone!

Hey all, I’m a college grad looking to move to ATX. Would love to connect with everyone! Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/destinbell/

Helllllloooooo

Tuning in from TN! Listening while working.

Erik and Janenae :)

I’d love to know about the opportunities for first-time black founders in Austin

*Janeane

Welcome everyone! We have a Rockstar panel today

Laura, Breast Cancer Resource Center, Austin TX, Hello!!

On from KY!

This is a very important time in our history, the most complete transition since the Civil War for Black Lives Matter...

George Bell … You hav to check out DIVINC

In Austin. I've been working on switching several local arts nonprofits to remote music concerts and instruction. Also doing more computer vision workshops on the side.

ATX!

Hi from Chicago.

nationwide baby!

Hi from Austin. I work in social media analytics… my wife sent me this yesterday

Meme!

I grew up in Reston!

Texas Center for Disability Studies, University of Texas at Austin! Hello!! Very interested in Meme’s MEASURE organization and Michael’s AUTM nonprofit as well. Interested in collaborating!

Cleveland Ohio > Austin Texas in 2015

Hey There Vanessa!!

nice

Welcome Donna!

We are thrilled to have you join!

Here from Austin! Originally from White Plains, NY (an hour outside NYC)

originally from Philadelphia PA, now in Austin :)

Hola Natalie!

Originally from the Bay Area, San Francisco!

Here from Austin, Entrepreneurs Foundation. Supporting these wonderful panelists!

Hi Maria from EF! Great to see you here!

Mentor Method, MEASURE & AUTM!! Powerhouse orgs!!

Here from Georgiana Acres in Austin, proposing coloring books for color of law systemic racism protest kids.

Love it Maria!

Hi Lindsey!!! Virtual coffee soon!

I guess no drinks at Trifecta after... :-/

@Maria that would be awesome, yes please!

Elizabeth is always fascinating

Hey Jennifer!!

I miss you Advisory Board

@vanesssaB I was thinking the same thing....

Colorado eliminated police immunity

Support and solidarity

White men educating themselves on anti-racism

the awareness towards systemic racism

Increased Empathy

the number of people showing up at events like this

peaceful assembly

UT seeking to make it’s campus more inclusive

conversations with a black man series on youtube, amazing

People are being more vocal and agreeing that systematic racism exists

many conversations and people moving to action

great book sharing

We could hardly get copies of books like "How to be an anti-racist" because they are being sold out nationally.

non-white professionals in high positions (Reddit)

Yes, Desere!

@eric - I downloaded the audible book

low technology, august second was national coloring books day as well national friendship day, so a simplpe solution as color of law coloring books to address systemic racism, fun for all age groups.

@David, could you expand on that?

#equalityAF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! epic

peaceful protest kids may participate in online coloring books designed to address color of law, red linning, Jekel Island Banking issues. Take a look, in a coloring book with some freindly imagination. Serenti ySells

@janeane as did I, but we were trying to order through black-owned businesses first.

that's great!

nice

My arts nonprofit, as well as many others in the Austin community and abroad are undertaking anti-racist and anti-oppression workshops to see how our systems and institutions can be improved.

@David, I like that. Makes things very visible

Could someone post the slack URL again?

Yes!

https://www.austinforum.org/slack.html

I’m ready to get real with you Meme

Eric: herehttps://www.austinforum.org/slack.html

Thank you. I have a blog doing business as serenity sells that proposes heartful solutions https://serenitysells.blogspot.com

Digital access was a huge problem in the public schools in the spring. It's a huge hurdle as teachers are trying to figure out what to do in a couple weeks.

Technology access is a huge socioeconomical barrier.

^^^ Yep, that’s exactly why AUTM is petitioning the governor to provide technology for all texans: https://www.change.org/p/texas-technology-for-all

In the United States, redlining is the systematic denial of various services by federal government agencies, local governments as well as the private sector either directly or through the selective raising of prices.

a lot of positive exposure is happening on Twitter

https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/jekyll_island_conference

As long as we historically view African American history as starting with slavery, we will continue to ignore the immense contributions that have come from Africa and her people.

RT @Erin

smh

YES!!!

You’re hitting the nail on the head @Erin

Data is power

It should be a human right; we need the REA of internet access

Redlinning source is the secret meeting at Jeckel Island Georgia. Bank on racial issues in a capitalist society.

often the application for COVID19 relief funds requires online access — something many do not have

human right

Wifi has become such an essential part of society its moving into the category of a public good

Agree, HUMAN RIGHT

Yes. The question of the digital divide got distracted when libraries and schools started providing more access - but now that they are closed - we see why that conversation should have been continued

100% agree with @ Erin

The new “Jim code” I love that!

If it's requires for school - it's required and is a utility

Dang Jim Code…that’s powerful

We can wrap up the panel right after Meme.

all are harmed when oppression is rampant

Like Highways are accessible/open to all…Internet (Information Highway) should be accessilble, and made available to all!

We who practice the new Jim Code are harming those we cannot see - and since we can’t see them, we don’t care.

yes we care

A lot of technological progress is done for the sake of progress, blind to implications

Everyones harmed when people with the ability to contribute aren’t able to do so because of systemic obstacles

“Jim Code” is a powerful phrase!

^^^^ yup

never too late.

^yes! People have to be willing to break the system sometimes instead of trying to reform something broken.

bt will take generations

In God we Trust. Systemic racism values is rooted in the FED. In the United States, redlining is the systematic denial of various services by federal government agencies, local governments as well as the private sector either directly or through the selective raising of prices.

perhaps AI will not be biased

Access is key to all of the good things mentioned. …and, Wifi cost is low enough that making it freely available is often straightforward.

Constantly need activists/advocates/support

we must become allies for POC while respecting the supporting role we may play in that struggle

AI depends on historic data... It will be biased as the society it is based on.

No only do we need leaders to emerge to fight Jim code, we need them to unite their efforts #StrongerTogether

First pass at AI had lots of biases.

great speaker!!!

I was thinking of the AI that completely replaces the people leaders.

Thank you!!!

Amazing

much better

I deeply appreciate your questions, Meme! They are questions I hadn’t been asked before…

Island off the coast of Georgia is the root and source of systemic racism instutionalized. Redlining may be addressed by dealing with systemic racism from our US Banking system. This is how to address the values being red linned.

#GetCounted #Census2020

^^^YES!

To be counted, households must complete the survey by September 30, rather than October 31:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/03/politics/2020-census-field-collection-end-early/index.html

“Higher” ed is definitely a barrier for many simply due to the cost. That’s why I’m a strong proponent for free postsecondary education

I declined many educational opportunities because I refused to allow my parents to take out loans for the schools that accepted me

Bias is something that is often not obvious to everyone at the same time. It is key for technology developers to hear about this issue, often, in order to factor that into development of software systems. It’s even better to do that with a diverse team so that the awareness is automatically baked into the development process.

No access to money in a capitalist system is the largest source of systemic racism. Poor house, no access to education, renege on GI homes and disfunctional leadership.

I heard a statistic that 41% of black-owned businesses have closed due to quarantine. More will close before the end of it. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/07/black-owned-businesses-may-not-survive-covid-19/

Black unemployment also went up when unemployment went down after the re-openings.

digital literacy is crucial

I am thinking at least one of the real questions is who is the audience? Who (again) is being "asked" or persuaded to change. I think Malcolm X once talked about having to "ask" to be a diner at the dinner table.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 strategy is so key for addressing these issues bc they were created with the strategic goal of creating inequality

right on Michael!

Don’t just talk about it, join the movement: https://www.autmtx.org/

Human centered designed programs must be part of the fabric and foundation of solutions.

Need to make data about disparity much more widely available and across the many dimensions - economic, education, health, criminal justice, etc.

and make it consumable so that many parties can reference this and understand it

and use it to make better decisions

This is business imperative

Andrei- please share your question on the Q&A

Janice, WOW

double-blind I see I see

@syd - say more.

@syd - say more

Including native Americans, being inclusive for the disabled, taking ownership of the Heart of Texas with Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Agility for all of God's children may be our best path forward. Witiko are evil man-eating giants of Cree mythology. Witikos play the roles of monsters and bogeymen in some legends; in others, Cree people who commit sins (especially selfishness, gluttony, or cannibalism) are turned into a Witiko as punishment. The appearance of a Witiko is huge, monstrous, and made of or coated in ice. In some Cree stories, looking directly at a Witiko will leave a person paralyzed and helpless against it. Witiko's heart is said to be made of ice, and the monster can only be permanently killed if its heart is completely melted. May we honor collective cultural conventions for our collective benefit.

Some business leaders know the benefit, but still not willing to move forward or make the investment.

:) spread the word!

Yassss! Be the change you seek

That was incredibly useful to hear in terms of actionables & also angles from which to approach issues of diversity in the workplace. I think it's so easy to focus on the frustration of having to explain why this *needs* to be addressed in tech, rather than to focus on the ways in which to achieve the most leverage

I worked with retail data warehouses to provide purchasing predictions and analytics. Around 2000.

Every store had the racial breakdown of the zip code attached

Mindsets are the mental lenses that shape how people see and interpret the world around them. Dysfunctional leaders' mindsets attune them to mishandling situations and making subpar decisions, while simultaneously leading them to believe they've taken the best course of action. https://www.td.org/insights/4-mindsets-that-drive-dysfunctional-leadership

exactly...we need policy change and a boatload of money

now is the time

^^^ if you value diversity, put your money where your mouth/diversity statement is

if we remain focused on Black Lives we can have real change

When the ship begins to sink, all the passengers realize they must work together to survive.

Buying power and voting power!

Meme - I don’t think it is too late because I think the solution is via policy. Everyone, vote!

Political, social, and economic power

RT @Vanessa: When black ppl win, we all win. I’ve done so much work with UT’s Black Faculty & Staff Association that has benefited our other University Resource Groups (URG)

Gotta run but would love to keep the conversation going. Thanks for making the space for this dialogue!

I'm pessimistic because I'm older and my generation was told the same. Instead I've seen my generation and younger perpetuate the problems

I truly appreciate the data, but until the HEART of racist human beings are changed this will continue to be a problem. Continue to fight the good fight, continue to cause "GOOD TROUBLE!"

Amen!!!

Olaudah Equiano, b. 1745The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by Himself. Vol. I. https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/equiano1/summary.html

word

#MoneyTalks 🤑

Truth!

When the ship begins to sink, everyone joins together to survive as they know in fighting will lead to the ship sinking faster and all lost.

And I appreciate S. Cannon’s point (what do we do when racism still exists)… and I think there is something powerful about how data can empower the people who don’t want to sit by idly, who want to have the tools and information to keep on the pressure

The reminder that when I see a lot of people being interviewed maybe for my team in the future and I don’t see the diversity, I can raise my hand and present data information that show the benefit of expanding the interview pool…

*data driven information

Any start is a GOOD START for systemic change.

If you don’t have multiple streams of income, you will be left behind

@ S Cannon -- humans are NOT born racist -- it is learned/taught

RT Cannon: it’s never to late to start creating change. The longer we wait, the harder it will be, but it’s never too late to disrupt systems of oppression

Yes Michael!

Thinking of diversity as something that'd be "good to have" but not CRITICAL is a mistake

Recruiting has to be focused on more than interns and entry level.

The Four Types of Dysfunctional Executives and How to Handle Them https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/the-four-types-of-dysfunctional-executives-and-how-to-handle-them-8806

This year's census will be a game changer

Starlink

^^^^agree on census, we need to make sure people respond and the Gov is cutting short the push to get it done by 1 month!

"using data to hold people accountable" like Jonathon Swan did? :D

Education is a public good and should be free

If you don't believe in broadly accessible education, health and food - I always ask people, how desperate do you want your neighbor to be?

happy with short change

Roughly 4% to as high as 12% of CEOs exhibit psychopathic traits, according to some expert estimates, many times more than the 1% rate found in the general population and more in line with the 15% rate found in prisons. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackmccullough/2019/12/09/the-psychopathic-ceo/#2f34612f791e

I heard in two years Austin will not have black people within its limits...?

^^^not within city limits wouldn’t surprise me because of the high cost of living in Austin.

Beautiful Heritage J. Omadeke....

Thank you S. Cannon

Hispanics whom have lived here for generations are loosing their homes. Redlinning is an ongoing issues since the secret meeting on Jekel Island off the coast of Georgia to create the Federal Reserve where systemic racism was instituionalized.

How a secret meeting on Jekyll Island led to the Fed https://www.marketplace.org/2015/10/20/how-secret-meeting-jekyll-island-led-fed/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_War

Austin's had commissions to study the "Quality of Life" for Latinos and Blacks and it seems that all the initiatives helped gentrification explode.

Redlining is starting to be dealt with -- the urgent problem is gerrymandering and voter suppression.

It was like they were hugging us while they walked us out the door

a lot of links here - where are the best sources of the 'data'

Disparity statements have been made as well solutions, Addressing dysfunctional leaders is part of the battle.

https://serenitysells.blogspot.com/

Yes Rich they are hugging us very close

What would you say to young people in tech who are becoming disillusioned? Especially if we feel that our presence in these spaces is so needed

Never give up!

E4 Youth: https://e4youth.org/

Syd S I added your question to the panelist- great question

How AUTM is providing access to technology: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2020/07/14/petition-calls-for-free-broadband-access-for-all-texans

#TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork

Thank you, Meme! And to all the panelists!

I work in the Community Liaisons office and I do my best to attend meetings where my vocal voice or survey voice can be heard. I truly appreciate the tenacity of all the positive protestors, who have taken to the streets in protest for a change. It is a shame that Blacks and other minorities are still experiencing this!!! Thank you Meme, Michael, Eunice, Jessica, Janice and Jay for this platform, continue the fight. (Black fist raised emphasized)

Brilliant panel. Be safe and be well...miss you all. vb #vote

Learn more at www.wemeasure.org

www.thementormethod.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceomadeke/

Michael Ward Jr. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michwardjr/ & Twitter: https://twitter.com/michwardjr

Measure Austin: https://www.measureaustin.org/

Snaps for Code2College!!

Code2College will be well represented at our Aug 18 event :-)

I like that, adopt an organization

Absolutely! :)

gotta drop... great discussion!

Answered as many questions as I could in the Q&A

Are you able to stay on the call? Would be happy to make you a copanelist for a bit after this Q&A session (in about 10 minutes) to chat with the panelists

Feel free to email me at Michael@autmtx.org to dive deeper

What can be learned from women’s very long road trying to do the same things in business and specifically tech companies, from getting the right mentoring, to dealing with being the “only one in the room”? Anything to learn from that and build forward?

Do you believe internet access is a basic necessity? Please sign and share our petition - https://www.change.org/p/texas-technology-for-all

Keep Austin Weird

Austin may value that, but the state of Texas does not. Texas laws protect corporations, not people -- which California laws do.

blueberry in tomato soup

Please join our slack and post that there as well!

Same

we're not in Texas. we're in Austin!

lol Michael

@GeorgeBell - happy to connect, made the KY>ATX journey 20 years ago :) https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyeschell/

Janice - All I can say is a great big “Amen”…. Oh, the war stories…

Please stick around and ask more questions! We will start bringing people up on the screen to dialogue with our panelists. So- if your question didn't get answer, or you haven't asked it yet, now is the time

Thank you to all Panelist for an awesome event

Meme, Eunice, and Janice are rock stars

Great panel. Thanks!

Not really active on Instagram :)

Thank you all for a great event!

please follow us on FB or linkedin

Janice & Eunice kudos to you all . Thanks for sharing.

Thank you

I am here. Yes, I can hear

Please share more questions here!

Y'all were amazing - well done - thank you! I have drop.

Thank you! I'll pull you up as a panelist once they answer this question and you can ask!

Looking forward to August 18th. Very solid panel. One thorny issue to consider tackling is how can public groups play a role to productively flag problematic algorithms? Given there is both private and public harm when algorithms are biased, how best to help companies identify them and either fix or stop using?

thank you!

Thank you so much everyone! It is a great conversation.

Great job, All. Let’s strive for equitable data sets! And thanks all for you donations to people in public and affordable housing through HACA/Austin Pathways!

Thank you!

Well said!