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Soon after I started getting invited to speak at tech events, I decided to use my platform as a speaker to normalize Black women in tech.
So, I started using stock images of Black women in my slides, particularly in my "Lending Privilege" talk.
So, I started using stock images of Black women in my slides, particularly in my "Lending Privilege" talk.
Black women are the group that experiences the highest intersectional adverse impact in tech, and I wanted to do something about it.
So, I started showing up at big tech conferences with stock photos of Black women in an attempt to be the change I wanted to see.
So, I started showing up at big tech conferences with stock photos of Black women in an attempt to be the change I wanted to see.
Representation matters, and my own journey as a technologist has been helped by seeing images of people who look like me. If you're in the dominant demographic, this is probably hard to understand because you regularly see yourself at work, on the covers of industry journals, etc
But, as a Black person in tech, seeing yourself matters. As famed astronaut Sally Ride said, "You can't be what you can't see".
If you want to lend some of your own privilege as a speaker and presenter, here are some great resources. The good news is that your slides will be better, too.
The excellent #WOCinTech chat is the source of BIPOC photos I used in "Lending Privilege": https://www.flickr.com/photos/wocintechchat/
The excellent #WOCinTech chat is the source of BIPOC photos I used in "Lending Privilege": https://www.flickr.com/photos/wocintechchat/
http://Blackillustrations.com ( @illustrationblk) is a relatively new source of great images for title pages and other parts of your slide deck. I recently upgraded my "Lending Privilege" slides to use some of their work.
#TheJopWellCollection ( @jopwell) has beautiful photos of BIPOC technologists that will upgrade the representation level of your slides: https://jopwell.pixieset.com/thejopwellcollection/
You can also find stock photos by searching for BIPOC people in these old standbys:
https://pixabay.com/
https://www.pexels.com/ http://unsplash.com
https://pixabay.com/
https://www.pexels.com/ http://unsplash.com
So, the next time you need to create a presentation or want to upgrade an existing one, use it as a way to normalize seeing members of underrepresented minority groups, particularly Black people. I've found that it makes a huge difference, and I think you will, too.
