Are Blacks More Likely Than Whites to Support Causes Online?

Most villagers know that I'm the executive director of the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).  BETF has established a number of online fundraisers via social networks in the past few years. As such we were intrigued by a new survey that claims ethnicity is a factor in how people perceive charitable and political causes they encounter on social networks and whether they go on to get involved with those causes.  [SOURCE]

Out of 2,000 participants in the survey, 30 percent of Black adults and 39 percent of Hispanics said they were more likely to support online causes rather than causes they encountered offline; 24 percent of whites said the same.

The study was released by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication and Ogilvy PR, a public-relations company.

While most of the survey participants said they believed they could make a difference by supporting a charitable or political cause, African Americans and Hispanics were more optimistic about the effectiveness of using online networks to do so. When asked if tools like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs could help spread the word about a cause, 58 percent of Blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics agreed, compared with 34 percent of whites.

In addition, more Blacks and Hispanics said Facebook and other social-networking sites made it easier to support a cause: 62 percent and 64 percent, respectively, compared with 54 percent of whites.

Whites are also less likely to use Twitter in general. According to a telephone survey of 2,277 adults conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, 25 percent of black and 19 percent of Hispanic Internet users say they use Twitter, compared with just 9 percent of white Internet users. What’s more, one in ten Black Internet users now visit Twitter on a typical day, compared with 3 percent of whites and 5 percent of Hispanics.

Yet despite the emphasis placed on social media, blogs and social networking sites are still second to more traditional information sources like television, newspapers, and personal relationships. Likewise, people were more likely to donate money or talk about a social issue than post it to a blog or Facebook, the Georgetown study found.

“What the study shows us over all is not to put all your eggs into the social-media basket,” says Julie Dixon, deputy director at the Georgetown Center. Instead, organizations should tailor their communications strategy based on the how their audience is likely to engage.

Our hope is that those of you who support the STEM-based programs that BDPA implements on local, regional and national level will find a way to visit and support our online fundraising efforts. Here is where you can find BDPA in various social networks:

1. Click and Pledge: Donor designates how funds are used
2. Crowdrise: BDPA IT Corps
3. Crowdrise: Various local chapter college scholarships
4. Facebook: BDPA Charlotte HSCC program
5. Facebook: BDPA IT Corps
6. Facebook: BDPA Los Angeles HSCC program
7. Facebook: BETF Endowment Fund
8. Facebook: Jesse Bemley Scholarship
9. YourCause.com: Donor designates how funds are used

What is your take on the survey findings?

Good News Tuesday: Turkenya Herring Uses Technology to Advance Her Education

BDPA exists to advance African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom.  Turkenya Herring is a remarkable example of BDPA turning its vision into reality.   

The mainstream media usually focuses on the negative behaviors of Black youth in America.  This blog joins with Essential Presence, Tradition of Excellence and others who seek to share positive stories about our people.  

For example, I'd like villagers to know about Turkenya Herring -- a young woman who is quite possibly the future face of technology!

Turkenya was introduced to science, technology and mathematics training while she was in middle school.  She joined a robotics team with a BDPA sponsor, Patriots Technology Training Center.  

Her interest stayed with her as she matriculated to high school.  She connected with BDPA Washington DC chapter and their high school computer competition (HSCC).   She represented the chapter on its national HSCC team in 2007, 2008 and 2009.   She earned multiple Jesse Bemley Scholarships that will help her continue her education at Bowie State University.

Let her share her testimonial with you:

---

Hello, my name is Turkenya Herring. I graduated in 2010 from Charles Herbert Flowers High School. I plan to attend Bowie State University. I will major in computer science with emphasis in information systems. I plan to pursue a career in networking or database management. I am proud to say that being a part of the high school computer competition has changed my outlook on society and the effects that science and technology has on businesses.

My first year in BDPA was spent meeting new people and learning how to grasp a concept at a very quick pace. I was very shy and far from gregarious. One of the instructors, Mr. Shack, knew I was very smart and always called on me to answer questions and stand up in front of the class to present my project. Eventually, I crawled out of my timid shell and began to converse amongst my peers and instructors. My instructors knew that I had potential to be one of the brightest students; my first year I was selected to compete in the national competition with four of my peers. I was elated and my parents were proud of my accomplishments.

In my second year, I was more motivated and cordial. My instructors and peers looked up to me and expected me to lead the path to success, which was to win 1st place that year. Unfortunately, we won 2nd place but I told everyone to stay motivated because one day we would become HSCC champions. Being in the competition was not about competing, it was about building friendship, learning how to present, showing compassion, and many other valuable skills that I will need in the workforce.

BDPA was the most life-changing experience I have encountered throughout my entire life. It has influenced me to become a computer scientist and give back to others. One day I plan to create and give away my own scholarships. I’ve gained a close relationship with my peers, mentors, and parents over the past three years. I know that I would never have become the knowledgeable, compassionate, cooperative, cordial person I am today if I had not joined this outstanding program.

---

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) provided Turkenya Herring with a Jesse Bemley Scholarship for her efforts in the national HSCC championships held in 2007, 2008 and 2009. We look forward to following her career over the coming years!

You can help us provide more scholarships in the future with a secure online donation.  Won't you make that move today?

BDPA Foundation and Eli Lilly Scholarship Offer $2,500 Scholarships for High School Senior and Current College Student

The BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is proud to open up the application period for any graduating high school student or current college student interested in the 2010 Eli Lilly and Company Scholarship for BDPA Students!

The purpose of the Lilly/BDPA Scholarship is to recognize outstanding minority students, with an interest in information technology, who make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential, and make an impact on their communities through service to others.

Lilly/BDPA Scholars will be awarded a one-time $2,500 scholarship that may be used to pursue an information technology focused degree at an accredited four-year college or university of their choice. The Lilly/BDPA Scholarship may be used to supplement benefits from the college or university a student plans to attend and fellowships from other foundations or organizations. Students may use the scholarship to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other college-related expenses.

Scholarship winners will be selected based on the application, essay, and letters of recommendation.

To be eligible for Lilly/BDPA Scholarship, each applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be a graduating high school senior or current college student in good standing at the time of their application.
• Demonstrate academic achievement (minimum GPA of 3.0)
• Exhibit leadership ability through academic or civic involvement and participate in community service activities

Complete application packet must include the following:

1. Application Form
2. Current transcript
3. 500-word essay on “Why Information Technology is Important”
4. Two letters of recommendation

Click here to download application!

Scholarships will be awarded only to students who fully meet the scholarship requirements. All application materials must be RECEIVED on or before July 9, 2010 in order to be eligible. Incomplete, e-mailed or faxed applications will not be considered!

We will announce the Lilly/BDPA scholarship winners during the 2010 National BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA.   We are very proud of our past Lilly/BDPA scholarship winners:

1. 2007, Daniel Puente (University of Texas)
2. 2007, Christian West (Northwestern University)
3. 2008, Khalia Braswell (North Carolina State University)
4. 2008, Lee Reed (University of Michigan)
5. 2009, Hung Vo (Georgia Institute of Technology)
6. 2009, Carrine Johnson (Palos Verdes Peninsula High School)

Do you know any high school or college kids looking to study in a technology-based field during college? Can they use a $2,500 scholarship? If so, you need to share this information with them right away!

Any questions?

This Week in BDPA (Mar 25-31)

I provide executive leadership services to one of my clients, BDPA Education & Technology Foundation. This foundation seeks to support programs and services that advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the 'classroom to the boardroom'. Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the BDPA CollectiveX Calendar and elsewhere:

• Mar 25: Richmond - Program Meeting, 'Preventing Identity Theft'


• Mar 26: Dallas - Career Fair, 'Technology Job Fair, co-sponsored with El Centro Community College'


• Mar 26: New Jersey - Program Meeting, 'What is BDPA All About?', featuring guest speaker Wayne Hicks


• Mar 26: Atlanta - Program Meeting, 'What Every Executive Should Know About The Blame Game'


• Mar 27: New Jersey - Banquet, 'Celebrating Our Past and Soaring Into Our Future', featuring keynote speaker Wayne Hicks


• Mar 27: Washington DC - Program Meeting, 'Quarterly Members-Only Meeting'


• Mar 28: 2008 BDPA Technology Conference - IT Showcase, 'Final Call for Papers to Participate in IT Showcase', sponsored by Johnson & Johnson


• Mar 29: Cincinnati - Workshops, Project Management Exam Preparation'

I encourage villagers to take advantage of these upcoming events if they are in your area! I'm looking forward to meeting with any villagers that will be in New Jersey while I'm there later this week. If you like what you are seeing ... please consider making an online donation to the BDPA Foundation so that we can continue to fund these events in the future.

Gotta Get Goals

Theo Johnson is the creative genius behind the Now That is What I'm Talking About blog. He tagged me with a meme on goals back in April 2007. The original meme was started by Alex Shalman. It has taken over five months ... but, the rhinos in my Electronic Village have elephant-like tendencies ... we never forget! My goals are actually quite simple at this stage of life.

1. Be a better father, son, brother and uncle - This takes many forms. First, I recognize that I need to be a better role model, including showing my children the importance of having God in your life. African proverb says that when there is a difference between a man's actions and his words ... believe his actions. My actions need to improve drastically in terms of my attendance and support of church. It is a tangible action that would be meaningful for my young son and daughters. It would also be something that my mother and sister would like. One thing is certain, I will be a great witness for others based on the ups & downs that I've had in my life. Finally, my nieces could use a positive male role model ... and Uncle Villager is ready to take on that role for the next few decades. I plan to write, call and visit with my sister, nieces and parents on a regular basis. We are located on the four corners of the continent ... so it will take some doing ... but, this is an important goal.
2. Become financially independent - I read with interest a post from Field Negro earlier this weekend. It reminded me of the financial roll that I was on a few years ago. Black Enterprises magazine once gave stats that showed I was in the top 2% of Black folks in terms of family income. However, that house of cards crashed when I managed to mess up my marriage ... get divorced ... and get hit with some whopper child support payments. At the exact same time, I left my corporate gig to start my own business ... and for a few years it seems that I lived off of credit cards and such. In other words, I dug a very big financial hole for myself. Over the past year I have been taking steps on a day-by-day basis to get my sh*t together. My credit score is moving up and my child support payments are timely. My new motto is ,'Start Late, Finish Rich'. I enjoy reading about bloggers that are making big bank. They are an inspiration as well. My former wife is also an inspiration in this regard. Anyhow, my goal is to become financially independent within the next five years.
3. Grow my business - I became a full-time entrepreneur on July 5, 2002. That is when I began my business in earnest. My largest contract was signed with the Cincinnati Business Incubator about a year later. I currently have 48 clients under contract at the incubator. These are some dedicated entrepreneurs and business owners that are looking to create jobs and economic growth in the community. Our most successful incubator client is a 3-year old firm, World Pac Paper, that is now one of the top six Black-owned companies in the city. My consultancy added other contracts and clients over the past year. The joy is that I have been a 1099-brother since July 2002. Those of you who own your own business will understand what that means! Now, I need to take my business to the next level. One thing that I need to do is update and implement a revised business plan. The steps that I took to get my consulting business started have run their course. I now need to take different steps to grow my consulting business over the long-term. As such, my immediate goal is to have a new business plan in place before the end of the year.
4. Provide four-year scholarships for BDPA students - I am the executive director for the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation. I was blessed last month to be able to hand out $40,000 in scholarships to students from Chattanooga, TN; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; and Rochester, MN. The scholarships ranged from $500/student to $3,000/student for the winning team from Southern Minnesota. My vision is to hand out 4-year scholarships to these students. If baseball, basketball and football players can get full rides from high school to competing colleges ... why can't these talented information technology students have those same benefits and opportunities. I created the BETF-Blog so that we can communicate more effectively. I hope to hand out the first full 4-year scholarship at the 30th annual BDPA Technology Conference in August 2008.

I have other goals in life that revolve around relationships and such. However, these are the ones that bubbled to the top as I typed out this post today. It is always good to put your goals in writing. We'll need to come back every once in awhile to see how these turn out. My thanx again to Theo for tagging me with this meme. I see that Vanessa and Benin were much more timely in their response to Theo's tag. I gotta get rid of this procrastination-habit!

Anyhow, I get to tag others now. My choices are:

• Adrianne - Black Women in Europe
• Bronze Trinity - Man I Need Something To Do
• Eddie - Eddie Griffin, BASG
• Invisible Woman - Black Cinema at LARGE
• Keith - The 'D' Spot
• Wayne - Field Negro

As we used to say when we were kids ... TAG YOU'RE IT!

BDPA Education & Technology Foundation

Villagers, I invite you to visit a new blog that I created earlier this month to support the efforts of the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF). BDPA exists to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom.

If this mission resonates with you ... then you should take a moment to check out our new BETF blog!

BDPA: Black to the Future

[NOTE: Photo above is the current & immediate past national BDPA presidents (Gina Billings and Wayne Hicks). The overview below is strictly from the Villager and is not an official communication of BDPA]

There are over 308,000 African American IT professionals according to Department of Labor. BDPA is a non-profit association of African American IT professionals that was created over 30 years ago by Earl Pace. The organization is having a national election next month. There are three talented people seeking votes to become the 2008-2009 National BDPA president-elect ... with accession to the 2010-2011 national president position. This is a critical election for anyone who works in the IT industry.

Here is an overview of the three candidates:

• Yvette Graham - Yvette is the current President of the BDPA Chicago chapter. Her chapter is the largest chapter in the nation in terms of memberships, programs, corporate sales and so forth. In fact, her chapter is the defending champions of the BDPA high school computer competition. Yvette is an executive with Allstate Insurance ... a company that invested $430,150 in BDPA over the past five years. Yvette has been a colleague on the National BDPA board of directors for the past three or four years. She previously served as a director on the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation. She continues to have payroll deductions applied on a bi-weekly basis to BETF to help fund BDPA programs and services. Yvette is clearly aware of the challenges that face BDPA. Her ability to work with others is well-known. I encourage villagers to visit Yvette's website or Yvette's blog to learn more about this powerful sister.
• Betty Hutchins - Betty is currently serving as national Vice President (Member Services) ... I say that with pride as I appointed her to that position over three years ago when I was the national president. In my opinion Betty has been the greatest VPMS in the history of our organization. It is no accident that programs such as the BDPA IT Institute, BDPA Career Center, Executive Protege' Program, Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) are more successful than ever in our 30-year history as an organization. Betty is an executive with Mayo Clinic ... a company that invested $240,116 in BDPA over the past five years. Betty's vision is proven by her ability to be a founder of BDPA chapters in Chattanooga, TN and Rochester, MN. Betty makes regular contributions to the BDPA Foundation. She is a determined sister with an ability to focus her attention and resources like a laser on key strategic initiative. I encourage villagers to visit Betty's website or Betty's blog to learn about this powerful sister.
• Norm Fleming - Norm currently serves as the internal champion for BDPA within Merck & Company. He has over 21 years of managerial experience. Norm's employer. Merck & Company invested $251,000 in BDPA over the past five years. If elected, Norm will be the first national president in the 30+ years of the organization to have never served as president of a local chapter. As a result, Norm is a wild-card in this election. Norm laid out a clear vision for the future of the organization under his leadership. Norm hasn't yet made a donation to the BDPA Foundation, however, we anticipate that he will do so at some point in the near future. I encourage villagers to visit Norm's website and Norm's blog to learn more about this powerful brother.

One of these three powerful nubians will join a small group of people in the world that served as national president for this organization that works to bring our community from the classroom to the boardroom. The election will be held next month during the 29th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference in Washington DC. One thing is for sure ... BDPA will be a winner regardless of which person is voted into this lofty office.

Villagers, I am curious as to your knowledge of BDPA. Have you heard of the organization before? Are you currently a member? Either way, please share your comments with us on the upcoming election and conference!

Manic Monday: Sun

The Electronic Village is participating in the Manic Monday meme. This week's word is "sun".

The sun demands our respect. It shows itself without hesitation throughout the African continent. In fact, the physical nature of Black men and women over the centuries adjusted to the beating of the sun in a variety of ways. The sun is now causing concerns all over the world as a result of the Global Warming situation. Those are issues for a future day. Today, I've decided to share information here on the Electronic Village about a brother that is doing some remarkable things by his study of the sun.

Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, astrophysicist and professor of physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, is currently researching the soft X-ray area of the sun's atmosphere. "This is one of the most difficult areas to work with because of the nature of this light and its interaction with matter," he explains. Soft X-ray light is extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, part of the electromagnetic light spectrum that cannot be seen by the naked eye due to its short wavelength. Because it's at the extreme end of the light spectrum, it's very difficult to detect even with scientific instruments. Dr. Oluseyi has developed a special detector that he plans to send in a rocket to the sun. It will be able to send back new information about this region of the sun's atmosphere.

Oluseyi is also collaborating with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratoryin Berkeley, Calif., on a project called the Supernova Acceleration Probe (SNAP) mission. They plan to launch a space-based telescope in 2010. It will be able to observe thousands of supernovae a year. Supernovae are dying stars that collapse in on themselves and then explode, sending huge amounts of their material into space. He hopes this new data will shed light on the existence and makeup of "dark matter" (invisible matter).

As a child living with his single mom, "I moved every year growing up," Oluseyi says. "We didn't live in the best neighborhoods, so I'd stay inside, reading a lot." He also watched science shows on PBS. "I always thought scientists were really cool," he says. "Albert Einstein was my original inspiration. I read about Einstein and relativity, and the weirdness of it all captured my attention from [ages] 10 to 16." In high school, Oluseyi won a prize at the state science fair for his computer program that did relativity calculations.

He attended Tougaloo College, a black college in Mississippi, where he was one of only two students to major in physics. "It never occurred to me that I'd never seen a black physicist," Oluseyi says. He just always believed he could do it. He received B.S. degrees in Physics & Mathematics from Tougaloo College (1991). He received a M.S. degree in physics from Stanford University in 1995 and completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Stanford University in 1999. His award winning dissertation was entitled, Development of a Global Model of the Solar Atmosphere with an Emphasis on the Solar Transition Region.

Oluseyi's advice to young people is: "Pursue your dreams without hesitation and always believe in yourself." He has been able to live his dream and now holds eight patents in the technology field.

I hope to encourage Dr. Oluseyi to get involved with the students that I work with as part of the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation. And I'm grateful to Keely Parrack and Manic Monday meme for encouraging me to think about today's word of the day ---> Sun!

Ride the Waves or Drown?

I am reminded each day about the changes that keep rolling over us like waves.

Yesterday we're watching a movie called Edtv where Ed, the video store clerk, agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a tv network. Today I find out that Edtv is no longer a movie. Justin.tv is a reality show that streams over the web, every moment of Justin’s life captured through a camera attached to his hat.

Yesterday we're seeking out Beanie Babies and Tickle Me Elmos as gifts for our children. Today, my kids want to adopt Webkinz -- these lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code. With it, my kids enter Webkinz World where they care for their virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash, and play against other kids from all over the world.

Justin.TV and Webkinz are enabled by the explosion of broadband access to the Internet. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was operating the Electronic Village as a bulletin board system with a 24 baud modem. I'm gettin' old!

While all of this tremendous potential is flattening our world and making it possible for the Electronic Village blog to be read by folks from Africa, China, India, Japan as well as the United States ... I worry that there are too many Black children here in America that are missing the ride. There are too many Black children that don't have a computer at home, or access to the Internet at home, or training necessary to use the computer. I worry about the future of the Black community if our children aren't encouraged and nurtured to become part of this brave new world. I do what I can through my work with the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF). Will it be enough?

Like I said, I am reminded each day about the changes that keep rolling over us like waves. I want our children to ride the waves ... not be drowned by them.

Blacks in Technology

Live long enough and you get your name in the paper! I was contacted recently by Pia Sarkar. She is a staff writer for San Francisco Chronicle. She was doing an article on a powerful brother who runs a technology company in the Bay Area ... Michael Fields. She contacted the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation to get some perspective on how African Americans are doing in the IT industry. Anyhow, I invite you to learn about Mr. Fields and to check out some facts and figures on African Americans in the technology industry.

It just comes naturally
Software executive helps open up the technology field for minorities
- Pia Sarkar, Chronicle Staff Writer

Michael Fields is not one to preach about giving back to the community, even though he's done more than his share. As an African American who has held several high-level positions in the technology industry, he has helped recruit women and minorities into the field, provided office space for companies that are just starting out and worked aggressively to create technology jobs in the Virgin Islands, where his wife grew up.

For Fields, giving back to the community is something that comes naturally.

"I have the capability to do it," he said. "I certainly have the desire."

African Americans have long held only a small percentage of jobs in the technology industry, and an even smaller percentage of the executive positions like the one Fields now occupies. At 61, he is the chief executive officer of Kana, a software company in Menlo Park. He previously worked as president of Oracle's domestic operations and started his own software company, OpenVision.

Wayne Hicks, past president of Black Data Processing Associates, an organization focused on attracting more African Americans to technology, said that a low high school graduation rate coupled with a lack of exposure to technology jobs makes it difficult to increase those percentages. There is also a very small network for African Americans to tap.

"We don't have someone in those executive suites looking out for us," he said.

Click here to read the remainder of the article.

BDPA

Hotep! This is my first attempt to create a blog. I must admit that I am experimenting. As such, I welcome and all suggestions or insights that you might share. I do hope that we have a regular flow of visitors to our Electronic Village. Time will tell.

In any case, one of my passions is working with a group of African American IT professionals in a national association known as BDPA. I have been very active with BDPA since joining in 1989. I served from 1999-2001 as the president of BDPA Cincinnati chapter. Our chapter won the prestigious BDPA Chapter of the Year award for work performed in 2000-2001 under my leadership. I served as the National BDPA president-elect in 2002-2003 and National BDPA president in 2004-2005. Currently, I sit on the national board as the immediate past president.

In July 2006, I took on the challenge of serving as the executive director of the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF). BETF is the fundraising arm for BDPA on a national level ... inclusive of the 54 local chapters. We raise funds through grants, raffles, events and so forth. This is a new challenge and I look forward to learning more about it.

I have been a part of the BDPA family for almost 20 years. I hope that we can talk about it over the coming weeks and months here in the Electronic Village.