Celebrate #BlackInData Week from November 16–21, 2020
Learn how a group of data students and professionals organized across the Twitterverse— and get involved!
Who knew that a coalition of ambitious, intelligent, Black data professionals across the globe would form in response to a tweet?
When I saw Simone Webb’s tweet calling for data students and professionals all across the Twitterverse to assemble, I slid into her DMs faster than you can say matplotlib.
That was my introduction to Black in Data, where I met co-founders Simone Webb and Ruth Agbakoba. Using tweets, a Slack channel, and multiple Zoom meetings, I also met Victor Ekuta, Markia Smith, Amanda Obidike, Crystal Grant, Chloe Hoeber, and more data professionals interested in diversifying the dataviz field and in representing Black professionals in data on social media. And, in just a few days, you’ll be able to join us as we celebrate Black in Data Week on Twitter.
#BlackInDataWeek is a week-long celebration to (1) highlight the valuable work and experiences of Black people in the field of data, (2) provide community, and (3) share educational and professional resources.
What’s so important about being Black and being in data? Out of curiosity, I asked all my co-organizers this question to learn more about their past and their vision for data professionals in the future. I want to introduce you to our team and share what they told me in the next sections.
Why #BlackInData?
I am #BlackInData because my thing has always been, if you’re not at the table, then you’re on the menu. If you have learned anything about this year 2020 in the U.S (police brutality, COVID affecting black people more), you’ll learn that in fact, Black people and our resources (or lack thereof) are all on the menu.
Data has been misinterpreted, misconstrued, and misused to fit a certain political agenda. All of us co-organizers agree. No matter what part of the world or background we’re from, one thing’s for sure: we will use our voice as #BlackInData to promote social justice change for Black people.
My co-organizers and I felt the need to start this initiative to amplify Black voices in data. The tech industry has always been predominately white and data has always been powerful. There were many reasons to come together, but one big reason was the lack of representation.
Lack of representation
People are naturally biased. And, data can be used to tell stories.
Data is collected and analyzed by people — who have biases. Representation is important because, if only a certain group of people are doing data collection and analysis of a group, then the story has a risk of being misinterpreted to reflect the group’s biases.
For example, there’s a lot of bias in ridesharing. One study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that, in Boston and Seattle, male riders with African American names were three times more likely to have their rides canceled.
Imagine not being able to rely on a rideshare service because your name is Rashon. Because of a biased algorithm created and greenlit by a socially-biased team of data professionals, few of which were black.
These same biases impact the job market. Hiring algorithms can often replicate historical biases, especially when they’re left unchecked by data professionals who aren’t affected by their consequences.
In fact, Black in Data was founded by a group of people who imagine a world without bias. Co-founder Simone Webb (@SimSci9) is in the third year of her Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Immunology. She noticed that there were many communities online for other fields, but not specifically for Black people working in data.
I would love for the imaginings of what Black people are able to and should do to be compatible with the career ambitions and opportunities afforded to all Black people. I envision Black people being present in increasing numbers in the data field, both horizontally (in multiple sub-fields) as well as vertically (in positions of varying power). I envision data sciences to be a space that sees Black people thrive and supports our journeys wholly, even if we are the only one, or one of few, in the room.
Victor Ekuta (@VictorEkuta), a fellow co-founder, and an MD candidate at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, shares a similar sentiment on representation. He wants his journey into data to be an inspiration for data lovers.
I am #BlackInData because, throughout my scientific journey, the one piece of data that was always missing from my research was Black people. I envision an environment in which Black people are first and foremost represented within the data (i.e. clinical trials). I also envision an environment in which data science is no longer used as a tool to marginalize Black people, but to empower them.
Markia Smith (@MarkiaASmith) is a third-year Ph.D. student studying Pathobiology and Translational Science.
I am #BlackInData because I stand as a testament that people from disadvantaged backgrounds can be in the programming field and attain their goals. It is my hope that one day Black people in data (and across disciplines) won’t have to work 10 times as hard as their counterparts to receive the opportunities and recognized for their capabilities. We will one day work in an environment conducive for training, growth, and mentorship where everyone can be themselves and get the representation we deserve.
Amanda Obidike(@amandachirpy) is a data scientist with three years of experience and an education from Harvard Medical School.
I am passionate about using data to create a more equitable and inclusive world. I hope to use data and technology to influence our lives and promote accountability.
Crystal Grant (@itscrystalgrant), who recently finished her Ph.D. in genetics, assented to how powerful a tool that data is. And she emphasized how political data can be, whether we want to believe it or not. Because of this, Black people need to be in rooms where data is used to make decisions that affect people.
I am #BlackInData because data is a tool we can use to generate new knowledge and information. It is incredibly powerful, but it is a reflection of the society in which it is created. Data is hailed as absolute truth and is called apolitical, but those of us who are Black and work with data know that nothing is apolitical.
Intellect and innovation
There’s just something about running your first line of code, analyzing your first big data set, and building your first machine learning algorithm that entices you to learn more.
Simone, who fell into data science after underperforming in a few bioinformatics courses, finds it an enthralling alternative field and another avenue for her to reach success. She shared that she never saw herself as particularly gifted at coding, but after some prolonged projects using her first language, R, she became even more interested in the logic behind code.
The satisfaction of getting code to work cleanly quickly switched me from dreams of the ‘wet lab’ (the biology life) to a primary role in coding.
Ruth Agbakoba, doctor and co-founder, also enjoys the thrill of working in data. She holds a Ph.D. in Digital Health Innovation and enjoys the new technological advances and opportunities offered in working with data.
I am #BlackInData because I love the ability to combine my passions for Implementation Science, Healthcare, and Technology. I enjoy working at the forefront of innovation! Oftentimes the implementation of new tools and technologies such as AI are underestimated. There is a translational gap and that is where the value of implementation science fits nicely in terms of understanding how we can optimize and maximize the opportunities that data and new advances in technology present.
Chloe Hoeber, who holds a BA in Cognitive Science — and created the super fly title illustration — has a why that aligns with wielding a powerful tool to make new solutions/broaden understanding (Chloe’s also doing behavioral research on tadpoles, which takes the cake for the best project ever.).
I am #BlackInData because I am at heart a problem solver and I believe data science is the most powerful skill set to solve the problems I’m most invested in. I particularly want to use data science and machine learning to improve our understanding, prevention, and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Amanda said,
I envision that Black people in data will curb the existing and growing threats and also the opportunity to use technology to understand deep structural issues like systemic racism.
Do you want to be a part of #BlackInData?
Many of us share a dream of equality and representation for Black data professionals in the future. But how can we make that dream a reality?
Find a mentor or be a mentor
Mentorship seems to be a big part. I have a mentor and it’s been an easier walk. Markia advises finding a solid mentor to provide solid guidance to help you invest in your interests. Look for someone who is socially aware who understands the difficulties of being Black in STEM.
One of our events for Black in Data Week includes a mentorship portion, where we have data professionals sign up to become volunteer mentors. Students and learners can connect with a mentor and ask questions on Saturday, the 21st at 12 PM ET.
Help us kick imposter syndrome to the curb
We also can’t forget about the ugly elephant in the room — imposter syndrome. If your background is non-traditional like my own, it’s almost impossible not to think of imposter syndrome at least once in your growing career. But thankfully Black in Data has got our back!
Crystal shared, “Be driven by curiosity, not imposter syndrome.”
Ruth shared, “Know that many people may not see your value. Don't let it be you! You miss 100% of all opportunities you don’t take and so don’t let fear or self-doubt cripple you.”
“The only competition in the room is yourself,” Markia said. “Don’t be dissuaded by people who you think may be more experienced or feel like you’re behind.”
But I really enjoyed Victor’s response:
“Never be the individual on the admissions committee that told yourself no,” Victor told me. “Even if there is a 1% chance, there is no reason that 1% can’t be you.”
Next Tuesday, we’re promoting #BlackinDataJourney, where we will have multiple talks to help you navigate your data career with confidence.
Last, but not least, find your tribe!
“Find your ‘family’, i.e., people that support and validate you in the professional space.” — Simone
“Learn from people’s shared stories, tips and advice that can help you in the field.” — Amanda
“Surround yourself with people who support your vision, dream, and potential and don’t pay mind to the haters.” — Victor
It’s also so exciting to meet new people because we’re all in a pandemic and Bumble BFF gets stale after a while. But these people are also just as passionate about data and careers as I am!
The good news is, if you’re on Twitter from Nov 16–21st, you’ll be able to find your tribe easily.
See ya November 16th!
@BlkinData partnered with BlackTIDES to create so many events planned for you: from skill sharing, social justice, and mentorship, to building a community.
Sign up for the week’s events on Eventbrite.
Follow us on Twitter (I may or may not be the voice behind those tweets 😉).
Learn more about each event, get reminders, and find out how to get involved in Black in Data.
10/10 recommend joining us this week. We are inviting all data students and data practitioners to join us on Twitter next week to celebrate ourselves. Amanda says it best:
We are looking forward to involving as many black people as possible who can take up wonderful and lucrative roles in data and STEM, while using their influence and role to change existing narratives.
See ya on the 16th!
