Welcome to week 2

In week 1, we delved into systemic racism in technology and society. You’ve had a chance to consider examples such as a facial recognition app that doesn’t recognise darker skin tones and a voice app that just can’t understand everyone’s accent. You’ve also thought about the wide-reaching personal, social and business impacts that can result from technologies reinforcing racism.

This week, we’re going to open the discussion up to what anti-racism is in technology and society, and how policies and processes can be put in place to support the development of anti-racist technologies.

In week 1 you read that Angela Davis, the American political activist, philosopher, academic and author, said: ‘In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist’ Ibram X. Kendi defines an anti-racist as: ‘One who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing an antiracist idea.’ He defines an anti-racist idea as: ‘any idea that suggests the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences—that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group.’ (1)

By the end of this week, you will be better able to:

• Discuss examples of anti-racism in technology development
• Explore ways to tackle racism in organisations
• Reflect on things that get in the way of creating anti-racist technologies
• Investigate how to tackle racism in the technology development process

In the comment section below share one thing, you are hoping to take away from this week. Remember to read and respond to your fellow learners’ comments.

References

1. Ibram X. Kendi, 2020. Ibram X. Kendi defines what it means to be an antiracist

Further resources

1. Ibram X. Kendi, 2019. How to be an Anti-Racist, Penguin Books.