Janaye Ingram had a visceral reaction [1] after seeing a recent TV ad [2] for a big chain store that sells electronics. The ad features a parade of men who have created new technologies or tech businesses.
"Anyone notice a trend? Anyone notice something missing?" she asks. Not one woman. Not one person of color. That prompts another question: "Aren’t there any females or blacks who are technology inventors or is it just that they and their products aren’t well known or widely consumed?"
To be sure, the tech fields have been dominated by white men. Women and people of color are woefully scarce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). As the demand for STEM talent grows, it's getting harder to ignore this major imbalance. For the first time last year, more than half [3] of all babies born in the U.S. were born to parents of color. We can hardly rest easy when such a huge share of our population is shut out of careers that will drive the nation's growth and prosperity.
So what to do? For starters, let's acknowledge those women and people of color who are in the vanguard of technological change. Ingram writes that "Our students need to know names like Marc Hannah, Dr. Mae Jemison, Tiffani Bell and Amos Winbush," all African Americans who are part of the science and technology revolution. Role models like them can inspire more women and students of color to follow their lead.
Let's hope we'll soon see a new set of ads that celebrate a more diverse set of pioneers.