#blacktech4blacklives

[robertgordoniv]

Black Lives Matter.

Now's the Time to Build Something Better

The work of a technologist rests on an abiding faith that there is always a way to build something better, a way to build something new. We’re finding it increasingly hard to maintain that belief these days.

Over the past several months, Black people have been grappling with the deleterious effects of COVID-19 and the disproportionate ways the pandemic has harmed our communities. The gruesome murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and now, David McAtee, have reopened wounds that had barely begun to heal. Folks are hurting right now; the pain is visceral, and the hunger for change is real.  The public outcry and the protests that have swept our nation are symptomatic of these yearnings.

As Black people, we are subject to the same fate that Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others have faced, for no other reason than the color of our skin. There are no credentials we can show, no lines of code we can write, no respectability politics we can perform to escape the specter of America’s racism. Its terror knows no bounds and its cruelty is unrelenting. Wrestling with this fact is infuriating, frightening, and demoralizing all at once. Above all, it is exhausting.

No matter how far we think we’ve come and how much progress we feel we’ve made, a clear pattern continues to emerge in our society and it signifies a horrifying verdict: Black people are not safe. This reality compels us, as it has throughout our nation’s troubled history, to reflect on our place in this world.  

Now, as much as ever before, it is important to affirm the human dignity of Black people in word and deed. Black Lives Matter and we remain committed to projecting that ethos through our work. Our organization was founded for this very purpose.

At /dev/color we will continue on our mission to empower Black software engineers to help one another grow into industry leaders. We know that software has the potential to be a significant lever of change, and with that power and leverage our members will go on to build up their communities and reshape the world.

Going forward, we are doubling down on our efforts to serve our members by carving spaces for them to process recent events together. Similarly, we will set the stage for our partners to learn how they can be better allies. And over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting stories and projects that our members share publicly.

Still, while the tech landscape constitutes the site of our resistance, it is hardly the only scope of our impact. Our efforts will continue to reverberate in Black communities near and far and we acknowledge the necessary work being done in other domains to support Black people. That said, we want to amplify the great things other organizations are doing to advance the cause of racial justice in this moment.

Here are a few groups/resources worth supporting, signal-boosting, or learning more about:

Justice for George Floyd Petition and George Floyd Memorial Fund

Justice for Breonna Taylor Petition and Breonna Taylor Fund

This petition to hold 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery's killers responsible.

Minnesota Freedom Fund

Brooklyn Community Bail Fund

Free Them All For Public Health

The Atlanta Solidarity Fund

Equal Justice Initiative

Anti-Racist Resources

Supplemental Resources

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

The Philando Castile Relief Foundation

The Movement for Black Lives

Bring The H.E.A.T.

Ultimately, we will know our job is done when we have totally reshaped society in ways that are more equitable and free of the ubiquitous threat of violence and oppression that Black people face. We look forward to a more promising iteration of democracy that will inspire generations of Black people to flourish for years to come.

Our staff will continue to lay the groundwork for our members to use their collective skills, ingenuity, and influence to accelerate the disruption of this untenable system. Together, we’re fully charged for the task of building a better system, even if that means building it anew.

Onward and Upward,

The Team at /dev/color