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.
I can’t get too worked up about this. If Jackson wants to shake down the liberal a-holes at Google, so be it.
Just say no.
Why is it important to ‘increase the presence of blacks in technology’? How is ‘blacks in technology’ or ‘black enterprise’ any less racial/’racist’?
Perhaps should name it something pithy like: "GrezMyPalm" or "PayTheRev....
The statistics here are surprising. At Twitter, “more than 60 percent” of the employees are white while at Facebook the number is 57 percent. What about the other 40% and the other 43%? Methinks they’re mostly of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese origin. Not much of a case for any racial discrimination, but a very big one for ability discrimination. Looks like the Rev. JJ wants AA for a bunch of nitwits and morally challenged, regardless of ability and integrity.
Carried to its logical conclusion, to be intellectually honest, we need to collect this data for ALL jobs, and then make appropriate personnel decisions.
From what I see in major cities around the country, very few white men are employed by public transportation systems. These jobs tend to be union, good paying jobs.
Anecdotal evidence in California, is that when you go in a government office, very few if any white men are employed. It’s not common to see white women either. Most of the employees are some minority group or other. Again, these jobs tend to be union, with good pay and good benefits.
My take on it is that the likes of Jesse Jackson act as if illegal discrimination is the only reason why few minorities are found in some job categories. While he ignores some major job categories in which minorities are clearly over-represented.
If we are to be intellectually honest, Jesse Jackson can’t have it both ways.
Ray shot the wrong one.
Did he only have one bullet in that rifle/
King’s family hates Jerkson and MLK once told him to get his own thing.
He hijacked the King movement and turned it into his extortion racket.
#mystockoption
When they load-up on Blacks, it won’t be long before we start hearing that America has ‘lost it’s edge’ in this area, eh?
Maybe 35 years or so ago. JJ gave a rousing speech in lA telling the black parents and community leaders they needs to get their kids motivated to achieve in school. He didn’t pull any punches. He had developed contracts the parents and kids would sign and give to their teachers.
He laid the blame where it belonged.
I think it was the beginning of operation push.
Seemed like a great thing to do, but everything was self-serving from then on.
My only point is that as a black Jessie is going on a preaching gig that “society must do something” to increase the participation of “minorities” in technology while “blacks in technology” are not preaching to anyone “in society” to do that, they ARE just doing it on their own, not by preaching to anyone, just doing it.
Both points of view think more blacks should get involved in the fields of technology, but Jessie’s view is a racist blame on society and the “blacks in technology” view is no, its merely their job to get more blacks involved. And, why should they NOT think so, in as much as “blacks” do represent their families and the communities of people they are closest to, so why should they NOT want to say “hey, look you guys, I’m in the technosphere and you can be too”.
If you read some of the interviews of some of the enterprenuers, when asked about what is important about what they are doing with their work, most of the answers were about about the work, and just getting out there in their market, not preaching, in their work, “hey, here I am, a ‘black’ guy”.
Jessie wants to blame a racist society. The “black” links I posted are not preaching racist blame, they’re just changing perceptions on their own by their own work.
I wonder if someone could petition ole Jesse to divulge the diversity in his little shakedown coalition?
Why are they calling him a civil rights activist? His racism is not a civil right Since when is skin color a requirement of employment?
Lol “black Twitter”!
We’ll call them “bitter”!!
Marble mouth extortionist and his criminal offspring bring hope to a hopeless nation
So the government can give it to someone else who was just like you.
-PJ
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