A lot can happen in 40 years. 

It took less than 40 years for the first personal computer to come equipped with the modern web browser. It took just a few decades for scientists to go from developing the first airbag to the first self-driving car. There were 40 years between the rise of video games and the emergence of e-sports as a multi-billion dollar industry. In 1976, Gerald Ford established Black History Month to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans. Less than 40 years later, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the country’s 44th president.

And yet, all of these things happened faster than it will take for women of color to be given equitable representation in leadership positions. 

According to the Women in the Workplace 2024 report by Lean In, it will take 22 years for white women — and 40 — years for women of color to reach equitable representation when it comes to leadership in the workplace. 

Women of color are woefully under-represented in the tech industry. The same Lean In report noted that women of color are known to receive less support from managers for things that they need, and less than half of Black women say their managers show an interest in their career advancement. According to the Pew Research Center, there has been no change in the percentage of Black workers in STEM jobs since 2016. In the last seven years, the number of Black professionals and the tech sector has only increased by one percent, according to Forbes. The same article notes that Black women are being promoted at a much slower rate than their white and male counterparts.

So, in honor of the tech professionals who are building out the hiring practices, running the unconscious bias trainings and teaching others in their company how to speak up in favor of equitable practices, Built In wanted to give some space to companies celebrating Black History Month. 

Built In spoke with two tech companies that take supporting diversity and equity in the workplace seriously — and who were excited to share how their teams are celebrating Black History Month.

What TrueML does: TrueML is a team of inspired data scientists, financial services industry experts and customer experience fanatics building technology to serve people in a way that recognizes their unique needs and preferences as human beings. The company endeavors to ensure nobody gets locked out of the financial system. TrueML has a highly diverse management team, mandates unconscious bias training and uses hiring practices that promote diversity. 

Inside TrueML’s celebrations for Black History Month: A spokesperson from the company shared: “For the first time, TrueML is proud to launch dedicated initiatives to celebrate Black History Month. These efforts honor the contributions of African Americans and amplify the voices of our team members. As part of the month’s activities, we’ll watch the acclaimed documentary ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ asynchronously, followed by ongoing discussions on Slack to reflect and engage in meaningful dialogue.

“We’re also introducing TrueVoices: Celebrating Black Excellence, an initiative that highlights the stories, experiences, and advice of Black team members, showcasing their contributions and perspectives. Additionally, we’re hosting a special session with a wellness coach titled ‘Celebrating Black History Month and Becoming an Ally.’ This session will focus on fostering allyship, understanding Black culture and taking actionable steps toward inclusivity.

“To further unite our teams, we’ve created themed virtual backgrounds for meetings, providing everyone an opportunity to visibly show support and participate. These initiatives represent our initial commitment to honoring Black history, fostering inclusivity and celebrating excellence within and beyond our organization.”

Ongoing efforts: “Although this is the first year we’ve formalized our Black History Month efforts, our goal is to make these initiatives an ongoing part of our company culture,” a spokesperson from the company noted. “We are committed to fostering a continuous dialogue and creating opportunities for growth and connection year-round. To support this, we’ve launched new affinity groups and dedicated Slack channels that will serve as spaces for Black employees to engage, connect and share experiences. These platforms will also allow us to build a stronger sense of community, provide valuable resources and ensure that Black employees feel supported and heard throughout the year. Our hope is that these initiatives lay the foundation for lasting change, deepening engagement and inclusion that goes far beyond Black History Month.”

What TrueML does: Elevate K-12 is an edtech company that brings equity in education to all students and teachers, irrespective of zip code. Elevate K-12 uses hiring practices that promote diversity. 

Documentary club: A book club-style discussion around the documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble”: We will be facilitating a group discussion on February 24th with all of our employees that participated in watching the documentary.

Pivotal person spotlight: Each week in February we will be initiating chats in the Elevate K-12 watercooler page that spotlight pivotal members of the Black community while encouraging other Elevaters to share their own BHM Pivotal Person Spotlight. These can be historical heroes, celebrities, community leaders and even personal connections.

Uplifting Black businesses: Inside the Elevate K-12 newsletter, staff shared recommendations of their favorite Black-owned businesses. An Elevate K-12  representative noted: “We will be sourcing our crowd of Elevaters for their favorite Black-owned businesses and recapping them in the March newsletter, set to launch at the end of February.”