Why Celebrate Black History Month?
It's important on many levels to celebrate technology innovators who are Black. In doing so, we make our workplaces, schools and communities more equitable and inclusive.
This February we’ve done something at Dunham that we’ve never done before. We’ve been posting on social media about Black History Month. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s important.
It’s important to continue to break stereotypes, even if we call ourselves ‘enlightened’ because far too often we are blind to our own discriminatory thoughts. It’s important when we don’t question systems that work in our favour and mistake our privilege for fairness or justice.
Lastly, it’s important because ALL children (and the adults in their lives) need role models that look like them.
So if you didn’t see our posts, here are some black technology innovators whose stories can inspire us all!
Katherine Johnson
Her work as a NASA mathematician helped guide astronauts through space. Her calculations were trusted for John Glenn’s flight and helped bring the Apollo 11 crew, including Neil Armstrong, safely home.
Dr. Mark Dean
He helped invent the IBM personal computer and holds three of its original nine patents. He developed the ISA bus with his partner Dennis Moeller and led a design team for the world’s first one-gigahertz processor.
Gladys West
She spent decades calculating Earth’s shape using satellites and complex mathematical models. Her work became the foundation for GPS, enabling global navigation, logistics, and countless technologies people rely on daily.
Clarence Ellis
He pioneered collaborative computing decades ahead of its time. He led research that created the foundations for shared digital workspaces and the modern collaborative software used worldwide.
Alan Emtage
He created Archie, the first internet search engine. His innovation made online information searchable for the first time, changing how people accessed, discovered, and shared knowledge on the early web.
It’s up to all of us to create workplaces, schools and communities where everyone feels included – especially when some parts of the world are turning away from the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
If you’re inspired to learn or do more, here are some helpful resources:
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