While I'm 100% in agreement that there is no room at work for racist comments (it appears that there was one issue out of 12 years), I'm not sure it's other (ie not black, not women, etc) people's responsibility to attract more people like her to the job.
We should certainly have a level playing field for people to have opportunity to study and get the jobs - but if she wants more black women in tech (something I completely understand on personal level), perhaps she should make an effort towards it. How is it my problem?
I think it's disingenuous to immediately turn the conversation from understanding the author's situation to talking about your own, including whether diversity is your problem. The author doesn't say it's your problem or ask you to do anything about it, and most of the conversation here on HN is currently about understanding the piece (including the parts where she says she is making an effort to work on making tech a better place for black women). I appreciate the discussion of the piece and wish we could stay on that topic.
I think it's disingenuous to chastise people for sharing their own experiences and feelings as not being "genuine." This is why it is so hard to have reasonable productive (thought-changing) conversations about diversity since anyone who isn't obviously different immediately gets shut down as not possibly being able to "get it."
I didn't say anything about being genuine; I think omonra's first comment was quite topical and I have no reason to think it wasn't genuine. The second comment started counting the instances of racism, pegging at 1 in 12 years and so diminishing the stories recounted, and then saying "I'm not sure it's other (ie not black, not women, etc) people's responsibility to attract more people like her to the job" and asking "How is it my problem?"
Omonra's contributed experiences are definitely useful, including the part where he says he doesn't expect to be surrounded by "his people" at work. It's the changing of the topic to "How is it my problem?" that I would like to avoid, because in general I find that the reason that it's hard to have productive conversations about diversity. Perhaps we should just spend the time to listen to each other's stories before we launch into, "Why should I care?" or "What about me?"
It is a question that can be answered directly. Really, there should be no wrong questions, just wrong answers. Shutting down the question doesn't buy any good will, you simply need not respond to it if you don't feel like it is worth answering.
Discussing these topics are always quite nerve racking, just like the complexity of the problem itself (much easier to deal with computer problems than people problems). I mean, I know you mean well, but more patience would be useful.
I agree that actually saying "How is it my problem" comes across antagonistic which wasn't my intent. Here is what I meant.
In the conversation about 'diversity' in tech today we really are talking about lack of black/hispanic individuals & women. So these are the three 'qualified' groups whose feeling of isolation at work is really discussed (and if a person fits two categories - double the points).
My point is that there are potentially many more (say infinitely more) individuals who may feel isolated and out of place. For example:
Old people
Immigrants
Lovers of opera
Extremely tall / short / fat people
etc
So anybody really who feels they don't fit it has the right to say 'There is lack of diversity with regards to X and I shouldn't change - we need to have more of X around so I feel comfortable'.
How would you respond if your coworker said "I'm a 55yo Scandinavian who loves opera and I feel like I don't fit in. Therefore I feel it's the responsibility of [company / society] to get more senior Scandinavian opera lovers in the field so I am comfortable"?
But somehow since the 3 groups in question are seen as disadvantaged we feel that the conversation is legitimate.
just wanted to make sure that you understood that I wasn't trying disregard your experiences. Just to point out that they are likely different in ways you might not have previously considered.
That said I do disagree that it's not others responsibility to attract more people like her to a job. I think it is a teams responsibility as a whole to create a diverse environment. Of course the author can do more to attract people she would feel comfortable working with but in my opinion it shouldn't begin and end with her.
Along those same lines I'd like to point out that just getting more diversity is only one solution and not even the one the author agitates for. Making the workplace more accepting of diversity where individuals differences don't feel the need to change to fit in is what she desires. She just wants a more open and welcoming environment. Not one that necessarily reflects her personal gender/racial makeup
While I'm 100% in agreement that there is no room at work for racist comments (it appears that there was one issue out of 12 years), I'm not sure it's other (ie not black, not women, etc) people's responsibility to attract more people like her to the job.
We should certainly have a level playing field for people to have opportunity to study and get the jobs - but if she wants more black women in tech (something I completely understand on personal level), perhaps she should make an effort towards it. How is it my problem?