Lost in the Source #5
#DIVERSITYJS
Hi. Hey. Hello. I know things have been a bit quiet on this side and I’m sorry but I promise you it’s been worth it.
I’ve still been coding, I recently started a portfolio site for a photographer and I know I said no freelance projects this year, but she’s my mum & I rely on her for food and shelter, so I can’t really say no. I’m going to talk more about the site in another post but this edition of LitS is about the first :bgt event of 2016, on being a black woman in tech.
That’s right, last Thursday we had our first event of the year, which was hosted by Roli.
I was nervous about this particular event, it’s been over a year since we had our first in February 2015 and that one wasn’t so successful. Although we had a lot of online traction and support, and although tickets sold out very quickly, only one person showed up. So, understandably, this time around I was scared of failing.
Learning from last time, I made some changes. Roli were super cool and not only offered us the space but also food & drink, so I could focus on promotion and organising the evening. I decided to have a £5 deposit which would be refunded when people confirmed their attendance just to ensure people actually showed up.
I roped in Tanya Powell to help with the talking but I also didn’t want the evening to be about passive contribution, I wanted the ladies to feel like they could share ideas, experiences and advice. The group size was good for that (about 20) and the chairs were arranged in a semi-circle, which by the end of the night was more of a croooked circle. I also encouraged the women to talk to each other by setting small-group discussion points.
By the end, we were exchanging ideas and advice with each other, people felt comfortable to ask questions. The feedback I got at the end was that the women generally felt comfortable and safe to speak and know that they will be heard. It showed me that there are black women in tech doing amazing things. We had women of various backgrounds & experience levels helping each other grow. Now, on to the next one.
