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Rev. Jesse Jackson petitions Twitter for diversity data
Tech Times ^ | July 18, 2014 | Jason Serafino

Posted on 07/19/2014 9:25:34 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The civil rights activist is going after the social media giant over diversity concerns. This follows weeks of criticism aimed at the lack of minorities at tech companies.

The last few weeks have been filled with criticism regarding the lack of minorities working at tech companies, mainly at Google, Facebook and Twitter. Now, Rev. Jesse Jackson has launched a petition demanding that Twitter reveal its employment diversity reports publicly.

Jackson wants this information available to show the world what percentage of the company’s workforce is made up of minorities. This has been a sensitive issue recently for many, especially after it was revealed that 70 percent of Google’s workers are males, and out of that number, more than 60 percent are white.

Facebook has similar numbers, with 57 percent white workers and 69 percent males.

“Twitter must commit to transparency and making a public commitment to improve the recruitment and retention of Black employees is a critical first step,” Jackson wrote in a letter on the petition page. “But disclosure isn’t enough. That’s why we’re also calling on Twitter to work with Rainbow PUSH, ColorOfChange and our allies to host a forum to discuss the lack of racial diversity in Silicon Valley and potential solutions.”

“Black folks on Twitter are a powerful group, using the platform not only to share news anddiscuss pop culture, but to create real change in society,” he continued. “Black Twitter brought the Trayvon Martin case to public attention when almost no one was talking about it. It forced the cancellation of a book deal for a juror in the George Zimmerman trial. And using satire, Black Twitter caused the cancellation of celebrity chef Paula Deen’s endorsement deals after she admitted to using the N-word.”

In the letter, Jackson urged Twitter to “live up to its platform’s transparency” and reveal its employment diversity information to the public. Up until now, the tech industry has managed to steer clear of major controversies surrounding its employment diversity, but as more of the information gets released, more people are beginning to get a clear picture of the industry’s workforce.

Now that the data is out there, some are demanding answers for why one of the world’s largest fields seems to have an issue with a compiling a diverse workforce.

In his letter, Jackson states, “Blacks comprise just 1-2% and Latinos 3-4% of the workforce” in Silicon Valley. Whether that continues to be the trend in the future remains to be seen.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Society
KEYWORDS: diversity; jessejackson; racism; siliconvalley
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Ahh, some things never change, do they? To recruit "people of color" into the industry, there must be intelligent, trained and experienced individuals to choose from. If there are not, all the Jesse Jacksons in the world won't change the situation.
1 posted on 07/19/2014 9:25:35 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Well maybe they’ll have an Ebonic’s app so they can communicate.


2 posted on 07/19/2014 9:28:40 AM PDT by SkyDancer (If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinfo)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Because unqualified people deserve to get ahead because of their skin color....


3 posted on 07/19/2014 9:30:00 AM PDT by freebilly (How about this-- we stop trying to elect the unelectable)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The purpose of affirmative action is to place people with IQs of 85 into positions for which they are completely unqualified.
4 posted on 07/19/2014 9:30:11 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Blacks comprise just 1-2% and Latinos 3-4% of the workforce

So what?


5 posted on 07/19/2014 9:30:40 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If they want more people of color, they will import them from India.


6 posted on 07/19/2014 9:31:04 AM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Rev. Jackson is really petitioning for “go away” money.


7 posted on 07/19/2014 9:33:24 AM PDT by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Begone, racist bastard!


8 posted on 07/19/2014 9:34:13 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The shakedown continues.


9 posted on 07/19/2014 9:36:28 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Elian Gonzalez sought asylum and was sent back to Cuba, send these kids back to THEIR parents.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Looks like twitter is going to get a classic Jackson shakedown.


10 posted on 07/19/2014 9:36:43 AM PDT by tennmountainman (True conservatives don't like being rained on by their own party!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
That is what happened to police and fire departments, they got put in front of the line, now look at the conditions we have there with all minorities
11 posted on 07/19/2014 9:37:13 AM PDT by easternsky
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To: Altura Ct.

Cut off the Democrat plantation checks and they’d re-enter the workforce.

It doesn’t pay to work these days.

earn too much and you lose your bennies AND have to fork over money YOU earned to the government.


12 posted on 07/19/2014 9:37:37 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Elian Gonzalez sought asylum and was sent back to Cuba, send these kids back to THEIR parents.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Now that the data is out there, some are demanding answers for why one of the world’s largest fields seems to have an issue with a compiling a diverse workforce.

Jason Serafino looks pretty white, judging by images that I've found that may be of him.

I wonder just how diverse the workforce is at "Tech Times". Maybe they ought to replace him with a "minority" (whether or not that "minority" is qualified to do his job - not that Jason himself is qualified to do his own job, though).

13 posted on 07/19/2014 9:39:57 AM PDT by Zeppo ("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Some politicians will do crap like this. As soon as they hear from the people that are being targeted that they are open to ‘talking money’...it goes away.

Jackson is probably just low on cash.


14 posted on 07/19/2014 9:40:50 AM PDT by RetSignman (obama: "For the love of Alinsky, how much more do I have to do to get them to impeach me"?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Sounds like Twitter didn’t pay enough tribute money to him.

Oh well, now they pay, BIG TIME.


15 posted on 07/19/2014 9:42:00 AM PDT by BobL
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Everything is about race with these people.


16 posted on 07/19/2014 9:42:02 AM PDT by Cheerio (Barry Hussein Soetoro-0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

maybe if 99.5% of minorities didn’t quit school in the 8th grade there may be more in the tech positions! but instead they resort to BIG rims and slanging dope.....yea i can see one of those 1995 caprice bubbles with 28 inch rims rolling up into the twitter corporate parking lot now :/

Mike


17 posted on 07/19/2014 9:42:35 AM PDT by MikeinMotley
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To: MikeinMotley

I hope Jackson never comes to our company - all white. Couldn’t find qualified minorities if we wanted to.


18 posted on 07/19/2014 9:50:21 AM PDT by atc23 (The Confederacy was the single greatest conservative resistance to federal authority ever)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Jesse baby must found himself a new girl friend and needs another couple hundred thousand a year to support his new babe........


19 posted on 07/19/2014 9:52:06 AM PDT by Stayfree (IThe White House Commie is no longer a bad joke, he is now public enemy #1)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Jessie is doing what he knows best, playing the race card,

while those of his “race” IN technology are doing the real work of “increasing the presence of ‘blacks in technology’” which is by just getting into it, becoming very good at it and making their own name and careers for themselves.

I actually think, from personal experience, the presence of blacks in technology is simply greater than most people observe.

here’s three links which make good alternatives to Jessie’s racist approach

https://www.blacksintechnology.net/

http://www.businessinsider.com/important-blacks-in-technology-2014-4?op=1

http://www.blackenterprise.com/tag/blacks-in-technology/


20 posted on 07/19/2014 9:58:10 AM PDT by Wuli
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