Pariss Athena [pictured] began championing the hashtag #BlackTechTwitter in late December 2018, to create a sense of belonging in an industry continuing to stagger in its lack of representation of women and people of color. After a Tweet asking Black people in technology to post photos of themselves and a description of their tech job went viral, the hashtag picked up steam as other users began sharing new job opportunities, their experiences, where to find conferences, and what new job opportunities were open. “The whole premise [of #BlackTechTwitter] is to bring exposure to Black people in technology,” said Athena. “When companies say there’s a pipeline problem, it’s shocking to me because I gathered this entire community that people continue to add themselves.”

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Since 2018, the identifier was used nearly 10,000 times among Black technologists, hiring managers, and those looking for resources or sharing their experiences within the tech industry.

Read #BlackTechTwitter Emerges as Prolific Online Community Connecting Black Technologists to Jobs, Education, and Community on The Plug.