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March 22, 2000_____________________________ - < t ed m o lo g ^ --------------------------- ®
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Black executives find disparity; underrepresented in high-tech industry
A ssociated P ress
Black entrepreneurs and executives
in the h ig h -tech se c to r insist
opportunities abound for well-
e d u c a te d and h a rd -w o rk in g
individuals, regardless o f their skin
color. Still, they are disappointed
w ith
th e
g la rin g
u n d e r­
representation o f blacks in senior
management positions in an industry
that has become a primary force in
a robust U.S. economy.
Explanations vary. There is some
disagreement about whetherblacks
have less access to venture capital
than others, but there is unanimity
in the belief that too few black men
and women are earning the science
and engineering degrees necessary
to thrive in the industry.
The technological revolution has
no doubt done more good than harm
for minorities, spurring job growth
and opening the doors o f prosperity
to Web-savvv entrepreneurs.
But industry insiders say most major
technology companies, even those
that pay close attention to diversity,
look more or less like the rest of
Corporate America: the top ranks
are, at best, speckled with diversity.
P recise d e m o g rap h ic data on
executives in the high-tech field are
not maintained. However, in all
industries combined, 88 percent of
m anagers are w hite; 6 percent
A fric a n -A m e ric a n ; 4 p e rc e n t
Hispanic; 3 percent Asian; and less
than I percent Native American,
a c c o rd in g to the U .S. Equal
E m p lo y m ent
O p p o rtu n ity
Commission.
O f the "The Top 50 Blacks in
Corporate America” featured in the
February issue of Black Enterprise
magazine, only four work for high-
tech companies.
“ I can count on one hand, maybe
two, the number o f blacks who run
p u b lic ly
trad ed
In tern et
companies,” says Dwayne Walker,
who was MicrosoftCorp.’s general
manager o f sales and marketing,
and directorof W indows NT, before
joining ShopNow.com in 1996 as
its chief executive.
Walker says there were “maybe one
or two” other high-ranking African-
Americans at Microsoft during his
seven-yeartenure there. In fairness,
he says, the disparity had little to do
with barriers put up by the company.
“At Microsoft, people have to have
the skills to succeed in a highly
charged environment. It was an
enviro n m ent w here execution
mattered more than anything. You
could be a Martian and succeed at
Microsoft.”
Other African-American executives
say, however, if outright racism was
never a problem for them, the bar
for advancement always seemed
higher for minorities and women.
Too many blacks lack the necessary
training to enter the field in the first
place, laments Al Zollar, the newly
appointed president and CEO of
so ftw a re m a n u fa c tu re r L otus
Development Corp. O f the 325,135
students who enrolled in U.S.
graduate science and engineering
programs in 1995, only 14 percent
were minorities, and less than half
o f those were black, according to a
1998 National Science Foundation
report. “ Blacks and A m erican
Indians are concentrated in the
social sciences, which are less likely
to offer employment in business or
industry,” the report says.
Portland Community
College
Cascade Campus
♦
Portland
Community
College
A
NAACP backs act
tor
T he P ortland O bserver
Kweisi Mfume, President o f the
N atio n al A sso c ia tio n for the
Advancement o f Colored People
(NAACP) urged Congress to pass
the Digital Em pow erm ent Act
introduced by Sen. Barbara A.
Mikulski (C„ Md.,).
Mfume said, ‘Senator M ikulski's
legislation will help every child in
America to cross the digital divide
and increase access to technology.
It will present opportunities for
children and their parents to learn
computer technology that is one o f
the keys to success in the 21“
Century. The NAACP has worked
with the White House and Congress
on this issue and w e’re convinced
that this bill will help remove the
barriers to technology caused by
income, race, ethnicity, geography
or disability.”
According to one study. 46 percent
o f whites have computers in the
hom e, but only 23 percent o f
African-Americans and 25 percent
o f Hispanics have computers in their
homes. “Too many people who live
in low incom e and rural
communities are being left behind
on the Internet super highway," said
Mfume.
The Digital Empowerment Act will
do the following:
C re a te a o n e -sto p for
tec h n o lo g y e d u c a tio n at the
Department o f Education.
Double resources for teacher
training and school technology.
Expand the E-Rate by making
Head Start centers and structured
after-school programs eligible for
Internet and wiring discounts.
Create an E Corps within the
A m e ric o rp s p rogram - for
volunteers to work in schools and
community center.
Create 1,000 new Community
Technology Centers.
PCC Skill Center
Technology is our business
“We’re a bridge to the future"
Real training for real jobs for the real world
Call (503) 978-5341
An Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Institution