Building Inclusive Communities

We’re all a part of a community—design, CSS, JavaScript or any other. But often we fail to reflect on what that actually means and what responsibility it conveys for us as individuals. This talk focuses on understanding what communities are; creating, sustaining and growing them. It offers insight into building participatory culture, fostering empathy and building a better future, together.

Transcript

1. Building Inclusive Communities Presented by @fox
2. ⚠ Trigger warning This talk includes mentions of harassment and depiction or discussion of discriminatory attitudes or actions. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with the content, please feel free to leave and take care of yourself ❤
4. I remember the magic of connecting to the Internet for the first time, over two decades ago. I was instantly hooked on its wonders.
5. Today feels different.
6. The platforms we were once so excited about are dehumanising and urging us to fit into stereotypical and often oppressive societal norms.
7. It’s easier to feel like there’s no room for us at all.
8. It’s easier to feel like there’s no room for us at all. We don’t belong. I don’t belong.
9. Peter Block “Our communities are separated into silos; they're collection of institutions and programs operating near one another but not overlapping or touching. This is important to understand because this dividedness that makes it so difficult to create a more positive or alternative future.”
10. Diversity and inclusion are prerequisites to intentional communities where anyone can belong.
11. Diversity and Inclusion
12. Vernā Myers “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
13. Diversity encompasses complex differences and similarities between people such as: gender, race, age, ability, socioeconomic status, religion and many more aspects.
14. Inclusion is a sense of belonging, engaging all individuals and letting them function at full capacity.
15. Equity requires a set of informed policies and practices, intentionally designed to promote opportunity and rectify disparities.
16. Exclusion takes the form of discrimination that denies full access to rights, opportunities and resources that are normally accessible to others.
17. The Industry
18. Astra Taylor “We have somehow deceived ourselves into believing that this state of insecurity and inequity is a form of liberation.”
19. 26% of computing occupations are held by women. Source: National Center for Women and Information Technology
20. 6% of Fortune 500 chief executives are women. Source: Fortune CEOs
21. 98% of VCs are white or Asian males. Source: Silicon Valley’s Morality Crash
22. 29% is as high as the pay gap between men and women gets. Source: The Gender Pay Gap in Tech
23. 60% of women reported unwanted sexual advances. Source: Elephant in the Valley
25. 30% of women of colour were passed over for a promotion. Source: Tech Leavers Study
26. 8% of tech workers never experienced gender bias. Source: ISACA Breaking The Gender Barriers
27. 95% of Open Source contributors are male. Source: Github Open Source Survey
28. We are turning a blind eye to systemic issues.
29. The tech industry often becomes a safe harbour for only one type of demographic —white men.
30. Allyship
31. Ellen Pao “We are at a crossroads. We can take the hard road to reforming our industry through innovation and accountability or continue with the status quo after a moment of self-flagellation.”
32. We glorify our leaders, trusting they are the only agents of change.
33. We glorify our leaders, trusting they are the only agents of change. This deeply patriarchal agenda limits our capacity for improvement.
34. Change begins with us. No reach or exposure necessary. No more silent bystanders. No more looking away.
35. Being an ally is an ongoing process of unlearning, re-evaluating and challenging the oppressive status quo.
36. 01 Educate
37. Laurie Penny “Thousands of otherwise decent people are persuaded to go along with an unfair system because changing it seems like too much bother.”
38. We need to commit to an ongoing act of introspection, reflection and learning.
39. Ignorance is part of the oppression. Don’t expect members of underrepresented groups to coach you.
41. 02 Listen
42. Mia McKenzie “Shut up and listen.”
43. Listen to diverse, confronting stories— understand, believe and empathise who we’re allying ourselves with.
44. Sarah Jeong “The Internet is experienced completely differently by people who are visibly identifiable as a marginalised race or gender. It’s a nastier, more exhausting Internet, one that gets even nastier and even more exhausting as intersections stack up.”
45. 03 Understand privilege
46. Privilege is a set of unearned benefits that come with identity traits, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, class or ability.
47. Privilege is the opposite of oppression, but the two can coexist.
48. It’s our responsibility to recognise and identify the privilege we have. Keep a list.
49. 04 Combat unconscious bias
50. Unconscious biases are shortcuts our brains take in processing information. We are all guilty of bias.
51. Make your bias conscious—question first impressions and justify your opinions.
52. 05 Organise
53. It’s our responsibility as organisers to ensure safe and inclusive platforms for gathering. We need set the tone for the industry.
54. Implement an enforceable Code of Conduct, publish diversity and accessibility statements and ensure equal representation.
55. 06 Donate and give
56. Diversity and inclusion-oriented organisations are often understaffed and underfunded.
57. Donate: funds, time, mentorship. Scale it up.
58. 07 Diversify and amplify
59. It’s crucial to amplify voices of those without privilege.
60. Follow more people with opinions and backgrounds different than yours. It’s up to you to decide what to amplify.
61. 08 Take responsibility
62. No matter how hard we try, we will make mistakes.
63. We need to own up to our wrongdoing and take proactive steps to prevent it from happening in the future.
64. 1. Educate 2. Listen 3. Understand privilege 4. Combat unconscious bias 5. Organise 6. Donate and give 7. Diversify and amplify 8. Take responsibility
65. The Future
66. Peter Block “Sustainable transformation is constructed in those places where citizens choose to come together to produce a desired future.”
67. Technological choices we’re making today won’t matter in a span of a few short years.
68. The only thing to prevail is the impact we had on other people.
69. We cannot build a better future perpetuating abusive exclusion.
70. People first
71. Martin Luther King Jr. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
72. Thank you Slides: speakerdeck.com/fox/building-inclusive-communities Questions and feedback: @fox on Twitter