Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in technology, is broadening its mission to encompass artificial intelligence (AI). The organization acknowledges that AI can amplify existing biases and inequalities if not developed with care.
New Position: AI Expert-in-Residence
To tackle these challenges, Black Girls Code has established a new role called AI Expert-in-Residence. Dr. Avril Epps has been appointed as the inaugural holder of this position. She will collaborate with the organization’s leadership team to create an AI curriculum for its summer camps.
Dr. Avril Epps’ Background
Dr. Epps brings a wealth of knowledge in computational social science and community organizing focused on AI literacy among marginalized groups. She is also a co-founder of AI4Abolition, an initiative that advocates for open-source tools to support social justice movements led by women of color.
"We need more diverse voices at the table when it comes to developing technology," Epps stated in an interview. "If we don’t have people from different backgrounds working on these problems, we’re going to create solutions that are not inclusive."
Upcoming Initiatives
In addition to her work with Black Girls Code and AI4Abolition, Dr. Epps is authoring a book titled "A Kids Book About AI Bias," aimed at educating readers about bias in machine learning models.
Next year, Black Girls Code plans to expand its summer camp curriculum nationally, focusing on preparing students for careers in emerging technologies like AI. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between underrepresented communities and opportunities in tech fields.
Founder’s Vision
The organization’s founder, Kimberly Bryant, expressed her hope that the expanded program will empower students to become leaders who can shape their own futures rather than merely following others’ ideas.
"We want them [students] to be able to say ‘I’m going into tech because I want my voice heard,’" Bryant remarked during an interview at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 conference, where she discussed her vision for enhancing Black girls’ access to STEM fields through coding education.
Statistics on Representation
According to the 2020-21 National Center for Education Statistics report, Black girls constitute only 6% of computer science majors nationwide. The report also highlights that they are less likely than their white and Asian counterparts to pursue computer science degrees.
The Origin of Black Girls Code
Bryant founded Black Girls Code after struggling to find organizations focused on teaching young Black girls how to code when her daughter expressed interest. Starting small, the initiative quickly gained traction as word spread about her efforts.
Today, Black Girls Code boasts over 30 chapters across various countries, including:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- South Africa
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Brazil
- India
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Philippines
- Mexico
- Chile
- Argentina
- Peru
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Oman
- Lebanon
- Jordan
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Tunisia
- Libya
- Iraq
- Yemen
- Syria
- Palestine
- Israel
- Turkey
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- Maldives
- Myanmar (Burma)
- North Korea
- South Korea
- China
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- Macau
- Japan
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Brunei
- East Timor
- Papua New Guinea
- Fiji
- Solomon Islands
- Vanuatu
- Samoa
- Kiribati
- Tuvalu
- Nauru
- Tonga
- Palau
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Mongolia
- Kazakhstan
- Uzbekistan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Armenia
- Russia
- Belarus
- Moldova
- Ukraine
- Poland
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Albania
- Kosovo
- Montenegro
- Serbia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Liechtenstein
- Germany
- Belgium
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
- Iceland
- Portugal
- Spain
- France
- Italy
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
- Malta
- Cyprus
- Andorra
- Monaco
- San Marino
- Vatican City
- Gibraltar
- Faroe Islands
- Greenland
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Guernsey
- Svalbard
- Jan Mayen
- Åland
- Channel Islands
- Northern Europe
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Southern Europe
- Central Asia
- Middle East
- North America
- South America
- Africa
- Oceania
- Asia
- Australia
- Antarctica
This extensive network reflects the organization’s commitment to empowering young Black girls in technology and coding education.
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