Today’s Talent Gap and the History of Black Innovation – Part I
This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter series + Increase Diversity Toolbox sharing best practices for employers who want to learn how to… well, increase diversity. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity | Increase Diversity - YouTube
JTC News + Events
2024 QDR COHORT REGISTRATION | Everything recruiters need to know about diversity recruitment including how to find, attract, engage, on-board, and (yes, even—) retain top talent from underrepresented groups - more women, people of color, veterans, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Register for February - March 2024 Cohort dates. CLICK HERE
INCREASE DIVERSITY™ ROADMAP | The ID Roadmap is a training and consulting program designed to guide workplaces like yours to create a diverse and inclusive environment through diversity recruiting and retention programs. CLICK HERE
NEW + FREE PLATINUM CHECKLIST | We have a NEW, FREE, downloadable CHECKLIST for leaders called Platinum Checklist 2.0: 5 Steps to Increasing Diversity Without Harm. CLICK HERE
To align with Black History Month for 2024, I would like to focus on a topic that has seen much debate recently.
Here at Team JTC, we have encountered many conversations surrounding Black underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) occupations, especially in the rapidly growing tech industry.
It’s no secret that several STEM fields have lacked diverse workforces for a long time and continue to do so. While many worthwhile initiatives are aiming to address this, there has been particular talk of a “Black talent gap” in the tech industry. A recent analysis by McKinsey predicted that US tech jobs will grow significantly over the next decade, but Black representation in these jobs will grow slower than the industry average.
Why is this so important?
Well, it certainly highlights a concerning trend affecting many jobs in areas of rapid economic growth. But it also reflects a lack of knowledge about the rich history of Black creativity and innovation.
I will explore the strong US history of Black innovation in this newsletter, especially since it lies at the very heart of how Black History Month came about to begin with. Next time, we will build on this to consider some of the potential factors driving underrepresentation and ask what those can tell us as diversity recruiters.
The story starts with Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950), who was the first scholar to study Black history in America and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
As researchers uncovered long-forgotten or neglected achievements of many African Americans, he was inspired to create “Negro History Week” in 1926, which later became the celebration of Black History Month as we know it today. “We are going back to that beautiful history,” he said to his students in 1924, “and it is going to inspire us to greater achievements.”
Historians have continued to rediscover the “largely muted” contributions of Black Americans to the Industrial Revolution, and even back as far as the colonial era. Many largely unrecognized Black pioneers and innovators from throughout our country’s history are now, finally, receiving credit for their important and lasting contributions.
Considering Carter G. Woodson’s legacy, it seems fitting to highlight a few of those achievements today. As we enter Black History Month, let’s remember a few of the many Black pioneers and innovators of the past to understand why today’s tech industry should not forget these stories.
Black Innovators in America’s Past
Granville T. Woods (1856–1910) was known by some as “the Black Edison.” Among many other innovations, he pioneered multiplexed communications and is said to have made the New York City Subway possible. Despite this, he gained little credit for his inventions during his lifetime. He often experienced discrimination and was frequently refused work because of his race.
Percy Julian (1899–1975) was the grandson of former African American slaves. He grew up in Alabama, where no high schools were open to Black students. He nevertheless passionately pursued an education, and when denied the opportunity to study for his Ph.D. at Harvard, he moved to Europe and gained his doctorate from the University of Vienna, Austria, in 1931.
On returning to the US, he made many pioneering discoveries and invented “Aero-Foam,” a foam-based fire extinguishing material that was widely used by the US Navy in World War II. He held over 100 patents and is considered “one of the best chemists of the 20th century.” He was also active in the Civil Rights Movement, and in honor of his scientific achievements, he became the first Black chemist to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973.
Patricia Bath (1942–2019) was the first Black resident in ophthalmology at New York University, and developed the laserphaco probe for cataract surgery in the 1980s. This was a major breakthrough as it made the surgery much less painful for patients by using a laser to dissolve the cataract. Bath was the first female African American doctor to be granted a medical patent, and by 2000, her invention was used across the world. It is still in use today.
Elijah McCoy (1844–1929), most famously the inventor of the ironing board, was the son of fugitive slaves who had escaped to Canada. He trained as an engineer in Edinburgh, Scotland before moving to the US, where he was unable to gain professional employment because of his race. However, while working as a laborer on the railroads, he went on to develop a lubrication system that revolutionized the industry and proved much better than copycat products. This is where we get the phrase, “the real McCoy”!
Inspired by her mother’s battle with cancer, Marilyn Gaston (born in 1939) knew she wanted to be a doctor from a young age. At first, she was discouraged from doing so due to her race, but she was later inspired to enroll in medical school by a physician's employer. As an internist, she became determined to understand sickle cell disease, which is an inherited condition affecting mainly African Americans. Her groundbreaking research in the 1980s led to the creation of the national screening program for the disease, and she became the first female African American director of a public health service bureau when appointed head of the Bureau of Primary Health Care in 1990.
I also think it is worth acknowledging Thomas L. Jennings (1791–1856), the inventor of dry-cleaning and the first Black American to hold a US patent; and Alexander Miles (1838–1918), who designed the first automatic elevator doors and undoubtedly saved many lives in the process. Most of us probably use these technologies regularly without realizing they were created by Black inventors.
Final Thoughts for Part I
These stories highlight just a handful among many possible examples that show us how Black Americans have played a key role in innovation throughout our country’s past. Therefore, their continued underrepresentation in STEM fields today could be negatively impacting employers. In Part II, I will explore how increasing diversity can close the talent gap and suggest some key action points to consider implementing in your organization.
JOIN US IN THE COMMENTS: What was new or stood out to you in remembering the history of Black innovation? Are there any other Black innovators of the past that have inspired you? As always, we greatly value community feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts below.
