Schedule an Hour of Code, December 8-14, 2014

Join the largest learning event in history, December 8-14. The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 170+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event.



One-hour tutorials are available in more than 30 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104.

Are Black People Becoming 21st Century Digital Slaves?

by Phillip Jackson
The Black Star Project

If you are not able to code and if you are not computer literate, you are pretty much a 21st century digital slave. If you don't have access to and are using the internet for personal growth and development, you are pretty much a 21st century digital slave. If you are not encouraging your schools to teach coding and computer literacy to your children, and if you are not allowing your children to learn, read and write code, you are promising your children 21st century digital slavery.

Phillip Jackson

If your children are playing video games, rather than creating video games, they too, will be consigned to 21st century digital slavery. If you are not learning coding yourself, you have relegated yourself to the old way of being educated and the old way of existing. You have made yourself obsolete. You have volunteered to be a 21st century digital slave!

It is time for all people, but especially Black people, to run away from digital slavery to digital freedom and digital excellence! The most widely spoken language in world in the near future is not going to be English, Chinese, Hindi, Swahili or Spanish-it is going to be a language of computer coding. People in every country will speak this language. 90% of all new jobs in the world will require employees to speak this language. You will not be able to live (well) anywhere in the world without this language.

The Black Star Project will offer introductory classes to coding and computer literacy during the holidays. Effective education can no longer occur just between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm, Monday through Friday, for 200 school days a year. Learning has become too important to leave to schools! Learning must be driven by parents, families and communities, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Learning is no longer a local activity, but a global imperative. Just as some slaves became accustomed to chattel slavery, some people are becoming accustomed to the new 21st century digital slavery. The only way to break these bonds that rob people of dignity and freedom are with "new learning".

10 Steps to Cope with Technology Fatique

The Electronic Village exists because of the advances in technology. However, it is based on the imagery of a simpler time when we built relationships by face-to-face conversations and sat down over a meal with one another. Sometimes we just get tired. It is with that thought in mind that I offer 10 steps to cope with technology induced fatigue.

1. Turn it off! Every computer, cellular phone or electronic device has an on and off switch. Use it! When you take time off -- shut off your personnel communication devices.
2. Take time off! This might seem silly, but, one of the most damaging mistakes overachievers make is failing to take time off. For some reason, we try to be responsive to the needs of others, and "stay ahead of the game". Take some time for yourself.
3. Turn down the noise! It seems that everywhere I go these days there is music, electronic noise and voices in the background. Some days it is just extremely noisy! If you have important work to do -- find a quiet place and space to do it.
4. Remember three words that begin with the letter N -- No, Not now,
   Never. These three words are extremely powerful words to gain control of your time and create some breathing space.
5. Rest! Take time to sleep, take a break or play. Don't focus so much on your goals and results that you don't take time to rest and sleep.
6. Stop Doing, Just BE! Sometimes doing nothing is a'ight! It is so easy with our hectic lifestyles to be too busy to enjoy the simple things; conversations with our children, walks or a good book. Being a human being has its advantages -- take time to do nothing. When is the last time you listened to the birds singing outside in the backyard?
7. Reflect! Take time to evaluate and determine if the direction you're heading is where you want to go. Do you feel trapped? Conflicted? Torn between priorities or values?
8. Get in Alignment! Are you out of alignment with your own priorities, goals and values? It's one thing to set a goal to climb a mountain -- it is quite another to have climbed a mountain and suddenly discover you are on the wrong peak. Create a list of values -- those things that you cherish most about your life -- and then evaluate if the time you are spending on daily tasks are in alignment with your values.
9. Make more life room! How much time, effort and energy is something worth? The answer is -- it depends. It depends on your values, priorities and goals. The key is to make sure that you do not allow anything to take up any more room in your life than you deem worthy. You may have to rearrange and say no -- to be able to make room for the things that are the most important to you -- but, if you don't, no one else can do it for you!
10. Be Good to Yourself! Brothers and sisters, you deserve it! You deserve to enjoy the best that life has to offer! Embrace it -- cultivate a sense of expectation. A sense of wonder and surprise. Be willing to be pleasantly surprised. Life may be waiting to hand you a wonderful gift -- make sure you have the foresight and vision to be able to see it. There is no one else on this planet like you -- you are unique. No one else on the planet knows what you know or has had the experiences you have had. Be good to yourself!

Do you have other suggestions for this list?

NIHERST Awards in Science and Technology (Trinidad and Tobago)

The National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) is a statutory body established to promote science, technology and higher education in Trinidad and Tobago consistent with national development goals. Trinidad and Tobago has nurtured many sons and daughters who have left their mark in science and technology to the benefit of peoples in the Caribbean and around the world. For many, their contributions have gone unrecognized and unrecorded.

The NIHERST Awards in Science and Technology seek to recognize and reward nationals for outstanding achievements in science and technology, to provide positive role models for our youth to emulate, and to record our scientific heritage. In 2012, NIHERST together with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education and the Caribbean Academy of Science (CAS) will be presenting these awards.

Call for Nominations

• The Fenrick De Four Award for Engineering - Fenrick De Four was the lead author of almost every national engineering code and standard in Trinidad and Tobago. He was a founding member, President and Fellow of the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT), and the first Chairman of the Board of Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago.

• The Emmanuel Ciprian Amoroso Award for Medical Sciences - Professor Emmanuel Ciprian Amoroso was a distinguished professor in the field of medical science research and education. He was famous for his studies on the placenta and was a pioneer in the development of the fields of endocrinology and reproductive biology.

• The Rudranath Capildeo Award for Applied Science & Technology - Dr. Rudranath Capildeo was renowned for his intellectual contribution to the fields of applied mathematics and physics. He was also a gifted educator of mathematics and physics and taught at University College London among other institutions.

• The Julian Kenny Award for Natural Sciences - Professor Julian Stanley Kenny was an eminent zoologist, author and columnist. He taught for over 25 years at the UWI, St. Augustine and was highly regarded internationally for his extensive knowledge and seminal research on the ecology of Trinidad and Tobago.

• The Anthony Williams Award for Technological Innovation in Arts & Culture - Anthony Williams is an early steelpan innovator. He designed the pattern of the placement of the notes on the instrument; added wheels to the bass drums; improved the way pans were made; and initiated the first scientific study on the instrument by testing his ideas at CARIRI.

• The Frank Rampersad Award for Junior Scientist - NIHERST’s first president, Frank Rampersad, was a brilliant economist who supported indigenous research and development and human capacity building in fields of science and engineering that were critical to economic development.

• The Ranjit Kumar Award for Junior Engineer - Ranjit Kumar was a well-known legislator and civil engineer. He planned, designed and constructed the first dual carriageway in Trinidad and Tobago, known today as Wrightson Road, completed in 1940.

For further details and application forms please visit http://www.niherst.gov.tt/.

Two thoughts come to mind for me. First, do we have any 'villagers' who are from Trinadad and Tobago. Second, I wonder if the Miss Universe 1977, Penny Commissiong, will be involved in this award on any level? She remains one of the most beautiful women that I can ever remember!

Science and Tech Education for Students of Color

Did you watch Soledad O'Brien share insights on the NewMe Accelerator journey in "Black in America: The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley"? The point was made that there are very few African Americans being funded for technology start-ups in Silicon Valley. It is obvious that creating a vanguard of technology CEOs begins with the education that we give to our young people.

Check out this video to see how one woman seeks to make a difference at an early age for students of color:


There are a number of other organizations trying to create future STEM superstars.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

2011 Women of Color in Technology Awards

One of my favorite people in the world is Tyrone Taborn. His company puts on a number of events to highlight diversity in the information technology industry. One of those events is an annual conference that honors top women in technology. The conference this year was held on November 5, 2011 in Dallas, TX.

Here is the video showing highlights of the conference:





What is your take on diversity conference such as this one?

Blacks In Technology Podcast #22: Sian Morson (Kollective Mobile)

We are very grateful to Greg Greenlee for his consistent efforts to provide us with greater insights into the technological genius of our time ... especially those of African descent. Greg does this with regular pod-casts that are published on the Blacks In Technology (BIT) website. A recent BIT podcast featured Sian Morson (CEO/Founder, Kollective Mobile)

Blacks In Technology Podcast #22 - Sian Morson

Sian Morson is a digital veteran and mobile evangelist who has been working in the interactive and digital fields since 1999. A project manager by trade, Sian moved through the ranks at some of the top advertising agencies in the world including Tribal DDB, Draft/FCB and McCann Erickson. She has managed the development of web properties and bleeding edge campaigns for international brands such as Philips, Coca-Cola and Aviva. She made the transition to mobile in early 2006 and hasn’t looked back. Sian formed Kollective Mobile, a mobile development agency, in 2010 and is a strong advocate for the early adoption of mobile across all platforms.

Sian has lectured, and written about mobile and its influence on such disparate sectors as art, small business, and the African American community. She is a regular contributor to Politic365 where she covers mobile and technology.

An internationally exhibited video-artist, Sian’s work centers on the topics of sex, race, and of course, technology. She holds a BFA in Film & Television from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MA in Electronic Arts from Middlesex University in London.

Most recently, Sian has hosted a panel on Art & Technology at the Festival of New Black Imagination’s inaugural event. Sian is consults regularly with start-ups on their mobile strategy and is available for speaking engagements.

Blacks In Technology Podcast #19: Kellep Charles (SecurityOrb.com)

This blog seeks to support the efforts of the Blacks In Technology folks as they interview remarkable IT professionals of color.

In this podcast Greg Greenlee along with guest co-host Ronnie Hash, speak with IT Security consultant and guru Kellep Charles. Kellep operates and is also an IT Security consultant for SecurityOrb, an information security knowledge based website for security members. The flows into information security, latest data security threats and an interesting review of the log management tool Splunk.

BIT Podcast #19 (Kellep Charles)

Kellep is a Doctoral student in Information Assurance. He also holds a Master of Science in Telecommunication Management from the University of Maryland University College and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from North Carolina A&T State University. Kellep works as a government contractor in the Washington DC area as a Network Security Analyst and is an Adjunct Professor at Capitol College in Laurel (MD) where he teaches in the Computer Science department.  He holds a CISSP certification.

Follow Kellep on Twitter @kellepc

Why Technology Networks Are Important to African Americans

by Kai Dupé

The lack of support networks has been identified as a critical aspect to involving more African Americans in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  While I agree that this is very important, I do not agree that African Americans lack technology support groups.  I assert that the problem is that the African American community at large is not aware of the networks that do exist.

There are three that I have worked with over the years. I am sure there are others and I am even more certain that most of our people, particularly our young people are not aware of these groups.  I know this because I do quite a bit of public speaking around the country.  When I ask students if they are familiar with The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), BiTWiSE, or Blacks In Technology the answer is invariably no.

In all fairness, BiTWiSE and Blacks in Technology are recent developments.  But BDPA has been around since 1975.  I have been a professional software developer since 1986 and I only recently became aware of BDPA.  We must do a better job of making our folks aware of these organizations.

This is not an indictment against BDPA as I personally know that they make every effort to ensure that our people know about their good work.  The charge is ours.  Any time I speak to a young person who has demonstrated an interest in technology, the first question I ask is ‘where do you live’ and if BDPA has a chapter in that city, I direct him or her to contact the chapter in their area.

The abundance of knowledge, experiences and social capital that exists within BDPA must be leveraged if our community is to become a player in the global technology game.  As a speaker and blogger I am constantly receiving questions related to technology and how to get involved in the technology arena.

I am happy to answer these questions but how much better would it be for the learner to not only pose the question to a larger group but possibly someone who has experienced the same circumstance.  This is a common occurrence on the web community, Blacks In Technology (BIT).  BIT is a wonderful online community of Black technologists who are ready to share their stories, knowledge, wisdom and encouragement not only to those who are looking for others like themselves who are already involved in technology careers but also technology aspirants.

Without these kinds of support groups, African Americans in technology may began to deal with feelings of isolation.  I can attest to this circumstance personally.  Since I graduated from college with my undergraduate degree in computer science in 1986 I have rarely had the pleasure of working in an IT department with another African American.

This issue of isolation occurs in high school, the workplace as well as on college campuses.  It is also one of the main reasons that African Americans do not persist in STEM careers.

Many scholars studying this issue from S. Craig Watkins in his book The Young and the Digital as well as Jane Margolis in the book Stuck in the Shallow End have reported on the importance of support groups or networks to combat the issue of isolation.

I would have loved being a part of either of these groups when I first became a software engineer.  Why? Because it is great to be able to speak with someone who can relate to your circumstance.  Someone who can understand what you may be going through.

I can remember having to explain to members of my family and friends what exactly it was that I did as a computer programmer.  The people in my community simply did not understand that I was CREATING software, not using it!  I also never had anyone to talk shop with for the early years of my career.

This is why I am so excited about this third group, BiTWiSE, which is a networking group dedicated to the African American software engineer and is sponsored by Microsoft.  You can find BiTWiSE on LinkedIn under LinkedIn Groups.  You can simply search Groups and enter ‘BiTWiSE’.

Technology support groups do indeed exist in the African American community.  However they become less effective if they are unknown to the people who can benefit from them the most.  We must do a better job of promoting the efforts of these groups in order to remove yet another obstacle to the inclusion of African Americans participation in the digital society.

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 Kai Dupé is a doctoral student at Pepperdine University where he is conducting research on Why African American Males Are Underrepresented in Computing. Kai can be reached by email at kai.dupe@kaidupe.com or by visiting his website at www.WhereAreBlacksInTechnology.com or follow him on twitter @KaiDupe

Have You Checked Out 'Blacks In Technology' Website or Newsletter?

Advancing the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom is something that we need to work 24/7/365.   I've been a member of BDPA Information Technology Thought Leaders for over 20 years. BDPA has been delivering in this area for over 35 years, however, there are other players in the field.   I invite villagers to check out the newsletter:

Blacks In Technology (BIT) Newsletter, Issue #1

View more documents from Wayne Hicks.

This new group wants to accomplish three specific things:

1. Deliver the most relevant and beneficial information and network for African American’s in the technology field or pursuing a career in technology.
2. Focus on creating a community in which African American’s are comfortable, motivated and inspired to pursue careers in technology.
3. Establish effective communicaton between African American’s in order to help drive individual growth, development and long-term success.

I would love to hear from any of the brothers or sisters that are working behind the scenes on this newsletter and the organization. I would also be interested to see how the Electronic Villager can support this effort.

All of us can learn more from their website.






At the end of the day I'm in favor of anyone who has a passion for people of African descent that seek to advance themselves in the information technology industry.  What are your thoughts about this new organization -- Blacks In Technology?

Good News Tuesday: Dennis Christian and Lyndon Bolden Win IT Merit Award Scholarships

To help more African Americans enter the information technology (IT) workforce, the CompTIA Educational Foundation provided 239 African Americans with free IT training and certification last year, and another 19 received merit award scholarships to help them further their educational goals.

African Americans are finding new tech career success, although they are still somewhat under-represented in the IT workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2008 calculated that approximately 574,000 African Americans worked in IT and related fields. African Americans make up roughly 12.5 percent of the entire U.S. population, compared to only 8.6 percent of the IT workforce.

To help diversify the IT workforce, the Foundation’s Creating Futures program provides training and certification opportunities to U.S. veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, minorities, at-risk youth and dislocated workers. The program works with employers to identify their hiring needs, then tailors its training to help individuals obtain the skills employers require. The Foundation’s IT Merit Awards Scholarships recognize outstanding accomplishments by students and adult learners in both the CompTIA Education to Careers (E2C) and CompTIA Learning Alliance (CLA) programs who have trained for and received CompTIA certification.

Two recent African American merit award winners came from the Barbara Jordan High School (BJHS) in Houston, Texas, a magnet school that makes it possible for students to earn a high school diploma while acquiring career and technical skills in their chosen career. Recognized by receiving the National High Schools that Work Gold award, it was one of only ten recipients to receive the award in 2009.

BJHS Seniors Dennis Christian and Lyndon Bolden passed their CompTIA A+ certification tests last fall and already have been accepted into Texas’ top universities. Dennis will attend Texas A&M University in the fall and plans on majoring in telecommunications. Interested in computers since he was young, he will travel and volunteer with the YMCA this summer before starting college.

Lyndon will attend the University of Texas to major in management information systems. He will move into college in early July with hopes of gaining a student job within the computer maintenance department on campus. Lyndon starting off his high school career focusing on football and athletics, but a knee injury refocused him on an IT career in his junior year.

BJHS combines hands-on study with online curriculum. The school works with HP and the Houston Community College System (HCCS), but needs more local business support.

Kevin McDonald, an instructor in the program, comments, “Our students need to see where the job opportunities are and what those jobs are like, so that the students can see themselves in those roles. We need more local companies to allow field trips to their offices and job shadowing.”

“Our industry can only grow stronger with more diversification and more qualified technicians,” said John Venator, president and CEO of the CompTIA Educational Foundation. “IT jobs are available, but we lack enough qualified workers to fill them. With programs like Creating Futures and the IT Merit Awards, we help more individuals launch a career in IT. However we need more companies and training organizations to step up. Dennis and Lyndon exemplify the type of bright students our industry wants. Let’s work together to help even more people join our industry.”

Will You Buy Amazon Kindle at $299 Discounted Price?

A number of my colleagues rave about Amazon's 6-inch Kindle. I haven't made the move because cost is a factor in my decision. Currently, I go to my local library on a weekly basis and check out books or DVDs at no cost. Amazon is sweetening the deal and the discounted price of $299 for Kindle may cause me to make the move.

I'm told that this lightweight Kindle is about the size of a typical magazine and holds over 1,500 books. Evidently, Kindle reads like a real paper with clear text and crisp images.

The Kindle Store now has over 300,000 books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs. With an advanced 3G wireless connection on your Kindle, any villager can start reading books in less than 60 seconds.

I need some insights from villagers that have a Kindle already. Are you pleased with your purchase?

What say u?

Obama 2.0 * WhiteHouse.gov is More Interactive

The Obama administration relaunched the White House Website adding a blog and several new features to make it more interactive.

Macon Phillips, director of new media for the White House, posted the first entry for the new blog at http://www.whitehouse.gov/. Villagers may now sign up for an RSS feed, e-mail updates, and can provide feedback to the White House by filling out a form on their updated Web site.

The White House also plans to post non-emergency legislation online for five days so the public can review and comment before the president signs it into law. Phillips stated the site is intended to deepen the administration's engagement with the American people, and it will play a major role in delivering on President Obama's promise of transparency in government.

Have you checked it out yet?

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.

Enhancing Education Through Technology

Villagers, the House of Representatives and the Senate are scheduled to take up the final version of the FY08 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill, which contains $272 million for Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program the week of November 5. Please email your Senators and Representatives immediately and urge them to support passage of the FY08 Labor, HHS and Education spending bill.

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Click Here to enter your zip code and send a letter with this important message.

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You need to know that President Bush vowed to veto the final version of the Labor, HHS and Education spending bill because it exceeds his budget proposals by nearly $11 billion, putting EETT funding into jeopardy. The House and Senate need to pass this bill by a two-thirds majority in order to show the President that Congress will override his threatened veto – so every vote counts!

Please make your voice heard and write your congressional representative asking for his/her support of the Labor-HHS and Education bill. Let Congress know the deep impact this funding has on the day-to-day lives of our nation’s students and teachers.

BDPA IT Institute

There is still time to sign-up for the BDPA IT Institute certification programs beginning this February. The IT Institute allows you to obtain leadership and management certification, as well as C.E.U.'s through Auburn University's distance learning programs. Certification courses currently being offered include:

IT Associate: This survey course provides exposure to technology management practices, leadership, and system management topics. The objective of the 14-week course is to prepare individual contributors for entry leadership and senior technologists positions as project leaders and systems experts

IT Master: This survey course provides exposure to technology executive practices, technology leadership and governance, and technology innovation theory. The objective of the course is to prepare Information Technology Professionals and mid-level experts for executive leadership positions.

For more information regarding the Institute or hardship scholarships, please e-mail: Institute@bdpa.org.

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.

CIO/CTO Market Report

Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) positions are at the top of the food chain within corporate America. As such it is interesting to keep in tune with the CIO/CTO market for new hires, promotions, board appointments or retirements. Kudos to Heidrick & Struggles for publishing this quarterly report.