Author: Luciano Vilas Boas
Publisher: Medium
Publication Year: 2020
Summary: The following article serves as a comprehensive look into why data science educators and large tech companies both do not hire at the proportion of Blacks, Latinx, and females that the Census indicates are out there. About 12% of all people in data science courses are Black or Latinx, compared to a population proportion of 32%. Similarly, only 7% of Google’s data scientists were Black or Latinx. The main issues these disparities bring about are racial and cognitive biases that create environments where everyone is encouraged to think the same. At this rate, the root of the issue are college/university admissions and retention strategies concerning minorities. It is not an easy fix, but it is the most direct way to effect change.