0:08 – America’s racist legacy of blackface is the news headlines again, as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring are embroiled in controversy over wearing blackface in the 80’s. We’ll speak about the history of blackface and its impact on present day society with author, activist, educator and public speaker Kevin Powell (@kevin_powell), who happens to be in Virginia as a visiting scholar at James Madison University.
0:34 – It is a commonly known fact that the tech industry lacks diversity, especially the top tech companies located in the Bay Area. To address the diversity problem, Kevin L. Nichols (@kevnix) founded the Social Engineering Project, an Oakland based social impact venture serving youth of color – getting them and keeping them interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). He joined us to discuss the lack of diversity in tech and how his programs seek to level the playing field.