NPR’s #RaceOnTech: What Does Diversity Really Mean in Technology and Science?

Stephen Henderson speaks with Michael Evans from Loveland Technologies and PishPosh.tv about NPR’s All Tech Considered‘s #RaceOnTech campaign, which highlights the diverse community of innovators in science and technology. As a part of the program, a dozen of the best and brightest chosen by NPR will be live-tweeting a day in their life this week. Evans was nominated by NPR’s Michel Martin to participate in the Twitter chat. He comes in the studio to speak about his experience in the tech world.

• His story: Evans says his path to a career in technology started with a mother who was a teacher in Detroit Public Schools and access to a computer at home. He talks about getting kicked out of Cass Technical High School and how he thinks this turned out to be a boon for his future in the technological field.
• Surveying the city: Evans talks about the Motor City Mapping Project and how Loveland Technologies contributed their technology to digitize Detroit’s property information. He says this is helping to foster new conversations about what Detroit’s land looks like and what can be done to make it better for its citizens. He says the Motor City Mapping Project makes public data easier for the public to access and visualize. 
• Future techies: Evans says working with schools to get kids interested in technological topics is important. He says students today use many technologies with ease, but “using technology isn’t understanding technology.” He stresses the need to show students the boundaries being pushed in technological fields, to show them that what they’ve only seen in science fiction is becoming the reality.
• #RaceOnTech: Through this campaign, Evans hopes people will seek to surround themselves with diversity not only of people and race but also of experiences. He emphasizes the importance of not making assumptions about the experiences of others and to diversify the spaces we inhabit and the people we interact with.

Click on the audio link above to hear the full conversation.

Go to NPR’s website to read other innovators and influencers’ #RaceOnTech stories from Monday.