@salac shared this on CS Slack:
Quoting from the webpage:
Today, we are issuing a call to action to the computing community to address the systemic and structural inequities that Black people experience. In issuing this call we ask the community to:
- Create unbiased and welcoming learning and work environments that allow Black people to be their authentic selves and learn and work without experiencing racism and bias.
- Commit to address the systemic and institutional racism that has led Black people in computing to be pushed out of the field or exit the field to pursue alternative careers.
- Address issues related to institutional or organizational culture and climate to create welcoming and comfortable spaces for Black people and prioritize the health and well being of all students in computing.
Especially, what we can do in response to this call:
Related: https://www.quantumforblacklives.org
If you prefer peer-reviewed literature, earlier this week @mcnutt had shared these recent papers that the PL/Vis group later discussed. They are worth reading for us in CS academia. I learned a lot from reading them; for example, the second paper includes powerful personal stories of bias and hardships faced by the authors in the CS academia:
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When Twice as Good Isn’t Enough: The Case for Cultural Competence in Computing (SIGCSE 2020)
Abstract
The commonly documented diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues in the computing workforce are the direct result of corporate cultures that benefit specific groups and marginalize others. This culture usually begins in undergraduate computing departments, where the demographic representation mirrors that of industry. With no formal courses that focus on the non-technical issues affecting marginalized groups and how to address and eradicate them, students are indirectly taught that the current status quo in computing departments and industry is not only acceptable, but also unproblematic. This directly affects students from marginalized groups (as the reasons for attrition are similar in both higher education and industry), as well as faculty (as biased student evaluations directly affect hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions). This position paper presents the need for cultural competence as a required focus for university computing departments nationwide. By improving these issues before students complete baccalaureate computing degrees, companies will have talent pools that better understand the importance and necessity of DEI and also work to ensure they help foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. In addition, more students from marginalized groups will be retained in the major through degree completion.
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Critical Race Theory for HCI (CHI 2020 Best Paper Award
)Abstract
The human-computer interaction community has made some efforts toward racial diversity, but the outcomes remain meager. We introduce critical race theory and adapt it for HCI to lay a theoretical basis for race-conscious efforts, both in research and within our community. Building on the theory’s original tenets, we argue that racism is pervasive in everyday socio-technical systems; that the HCI community is prone to “interest convergence”, where concessions to inclusion require benefits to those in power; and that the neoliberal underpinnings of the technology industry itself propagate racism. Critical race theory uses storytelling as a means to upend deep-seated assumptions, and we relate several personal stories to highlight ongoing problems of race in HCI. The implications: all HCI research must be attuned to issues of race; participation of underrepresented minorities must be sought in all of our activities; and as a community, we cannot become comfortable while racial disparities exist.