The 1950s and 1960s were fertile ground for many of today’s 21st-century breakthroughs. The internet, cellphones, artificial intelligence, virtual learning, remote employment, and social media are all based on innovations like the microprocessor, computer programming languages, and satellites.
During this time, the United States was in the midst of its civil rights movement of the 20th century. As in other areas of public policy and culture, many technological advancements have been developed without taking into account how they can influence Black Americans’ lives.
Where does the history of African-Americans in the field of technology fit in?
The true story of three African-American women who were instrumental in launching the United States’ space program in the 1960s was presented in the 2016 film Hidden Figures. Juan Gilbert, an endowed professor and department chair of the University of Florida’s Department of Computer, Information Science, and Engineering, says that there are many other unknown figures in the history of technology.
To what extent, if any, can we attribute technological advancements in the twentieth century to people of African descent?
“For decades, the history of technology has been portrayed from a single point of view, omitting the achievements of African-Americans. Often referred to as the “invisible man,” Dr. Mark Dean, a mentor and friend of mine, is known for his contributions to the development of the computer. We need to do a better job of exposing the achievements of Black Americans in technology because there are still additional figures that are being kept under wraps.”
The Clemson University School of Computing’s Julian Brinkley shared this view. Brinkley remarked, “Technology history is Black history, and vice versa.” “Consumer acceptability and adoption is one of the most crucial variables with any new technology,” he stated.
It is common for black Americans to be among the first to adopt new technologies because they have a strong sense of urgency. New technology, according to Brinkley, is influenced in part by leaders in the African-American community.
“People can’t take advantage of new technologies if they don’t want to. It has long been the case that African-Americans not only make new technologies acceptable but also essential.”
Brinkley went on to say that: “It is clear that the influence of Black celebrities and athletes on the acceptance of new technologies is undeniable. No matter how many obstacles Black Americans have encountered in the past, what is ‘hot’ in the Black community is typically highly sought after both in the US and abroad.”
The public policies we have today are influenced by the decisions we made in the past about technology.
In ways we may not be aware of, technology is reshaping our world. Your ethnicity, culture, gender, and other intersecting identities will have an impact on how you interact with technology.
Shaundra Daily, a professor in Duke University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said, “Past and present news gives us a strong feel of the areas and places where marginalized communities have been left out of technology’s creation.”
Facial recognition technology, she said, is an example of how technology fails to serve all people equally. Black and brown persons are commonly misidentified by facial recognition systems. Women are sometimes unable to be recognised by voice recognition technology. Many technologies and everyday activities are still unavailable to persons with disabilities.
“The harm could have been prevented when these technologies were given to the public if these groups were included in the design phases,” Daily added.
Face recognition technology is still a challenge to build and operate, according to Gilbert.
“These programmes were implemented and put to use as part of criminal justice reform efforts. We now know that these technologies had racial biases. Since the technological pipeline goes from conception to implementation and public policy, it is critical to have a diversified team at each step.”
Accessibility is another area of attention for Brinkley.
This approach has made the connection between technological choices and public policy more obvious, he added. “As a result of today’s technology decisions, there are typically precise policies that regulate the design and usage of technology. As a result, even the most well-intentioned policies might fall short of their potential. Efforts to design policies are sometimes unable to keep up with the rapid evolution of technology.”
As the United States celebrates African American History Month, Brinkley said a new approach to diversity and fairness in technology may focus on people rather than policies.
Designing a socially responsible autonomous car, for example—an area in which I am strongly involved—could entail making a decision that is more expensive to achieve, but one that makes the technology more accessible to people in their 60s and 70s and others with physical limitations.
As Brinkley went on to explain, “When developing new technologies, how can we ensure that the engineers and technologists involved are committed to making better decisions about how they are designed and implemented? Our technology will be better, and it will be socially responsible, if we can bring in more people who put people first and put the demands of society ahead of their own financial interests.”
Diversity in software development teams with social responsibility commitments, according to Brinkley, has the potential to have a far greater impact than simply passing a new policy. A more egalitarian and inclusive future with technology can be built on the foundation of a more diverse workforce, Gilbert said.
According to Gilbert, “as a nation, we can realise that there is bias in technology and that diversity can benefit technology.” “They believed that because we worked with numbers and algorithms rather than humans as graduate students, technology was neutral. After all, we now know that’s not the case. All of us benefit from a more varied collection of people participating in technology. For everyone, it improves technology, which in turn advances our country. To do so is not just morally correct but the best thing to do.”
