Cassandra Salisbury
Program Manager at Google
Cassandra currently works on the open source strategy team at Google as a program manager on the Go language team. She is a core team member of GoBridge where she focuses on increasing diversity and mindfulness in the tech community. She is an avid karaoke fan, finds relief in stress cooking and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Connect with Cassandra on Twitter, Facebook and Medium.
What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you get through it?
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a town called Richmond. People have the perception that if you grow up in the Bay Area, you must have access to resources. Unfortunately that’s not the case for many youths growing up in impoverished communities just across the bridge from the wealth of San Francisco.
I’ve heard from peers about the technology they had access to growing up that taught them how to tweak hardware or learn to code, about the awesome summer camps they went to, or the schools they attended that offered special courses. Where I come from, we didn’t have any of that.
I didn’t go to college. I had a retail management job for years and landed a job in tech because an old high school teacher’s husband was willing to take a chance on me. I was often the only woman and even more often, the only brown skin tone. I was working with people who went to Ivy League institutions, but you better believe that I grasped the opportunity with every bone in my body.
It was hard. I made mistakes, I lost jobs, I cried, I had anxiety attacks. I saw those dreaded parentheses in my bank account that indicated a negative balance. I started new jobs. I ended a marriage. I lost a home. I learned new technologies. I met new people. I had my ass grabbed at a conference, and I was told I was too pretty, or not geeky enough. I was told I wouldn’t go anywhere without a degree. My credentials were constantly called into question.
I made mistakes both personally and professionally, but I never made the same one twice. I removed myself from situations that gave me an anxiety attacks. If someone thought my lack of education was a non-starter, I didn’t want to work for them anyway. If a man grabbed my ass at a conference, I’d report him under a Code of Conduct, and if there wasn’t one, I’d give them the resources to start one.
“I made mistakes both personally and professionally, but I never made the same one twice.”
Most of all, I got involved and networked the heck out of my life. I joined diversity organizations when I felt lonely. I helped organize events when I felt I needed to learn more. I cried when I needed to. I sought out minds that were going through the same thing, where they could give me perspective and pause. What I’ve learned over the last few years is that I am not alone, and that I should value myself and my mental health above all else.
What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?
I’m proud that I have been able to remove myself from abusive situations. It’s sometimes difficult to recognize when you’re being abused at work. It’s incredibly difficult to leave an abusive relationship at home for what can be a myriad of reasons. I’ve done both, and I make it a personal goal to help others do so as well.
“It’s incredibly difficult to leave an abusive relationship at home for what can be a myriad of reasons. I’ve done both, and I make it a personal goal to help others do so as well.”
What’s something that’s been on your mind this Black History Month?
The climate in the United States feels so heavy to me. I’ve had more bouts with racist and sexist remarks over the last year than before and find myself having to compartmentalize way too often. This Black History Month, my main thought is: let’s rock. Let’s rock the boat and talk about what’s wrong with racism in America. Let’s rock the boat and acknowledge the issues with white privilege. Let’s rock this boat, and let’s do it together.
