Culture Fit: Racial Bias in Tech

People from communities that have long been excluded by Silicon Valley’s monoculture share their personal stories and walk through the data on the lack of diversity in tech. When it comes to cognitive biases, what critical errors do our brains make without even realizing it?

It’s time to hop into the way, way back machine. We’re examining the history of Silicon Valley to better understand how we got to the current moment of racial inequity in tech. 

A common excuse tech companies make for their lack of diversity is to blame the “pipeline,” saying there aren’t enough qualified candidates from underrepresented groups in the talent pool. Why do tech companies lean on this argument, and what are they missing?

Racial bias has not only worked its way into tech workplaces, it’s also in the products we build. How can we mitigate the harm that these biases cause in the products Silicon Valley puts out into the world?

We’re turning the mirror on ourselves to assess diversity, equity, and inclusion at All Turtles. If we believe every company could benefit from open conversations about diversity issues, we need to start with ourselves.

So where do we go from here? How do we build a more inclusive future in tech? A good place to start is by listening to those who have worked to improve equity in Silicon Valley for years.