So how and why did Black Developers get started?
Well, it’s funny how the idea was birthed. I was watching a documentary over how a software community got started of developers and as I am watching towards the end, I noticed that I had not seen one black face among the developers speaking. And something within me got stirred. I knew that there were black developers out there, hell, I am a black developer and I have worked with other black developers. It’s not uncommon to be the only or one of very few black software developers, but this time, I felt inclined that I needed to do something to help build a deeper pipeline. I don’t feel that we are being shut out.
Sure, there are some companies that may have people who have done it, but I feel that we haven’t exposed enough black people to want to choose this as a profession and for them to not feel intimidated. Everyone doesn’t have to work at Google, Facebook, Twitter, or other big companies. They have their own issues when it comes to diversity and hopefully they are working on that.
I have been a software developer exactly 20 years and I have seen a lot of things in the industry and I have seen enough to know that this can be done. And for those thinking about changing careers, you can! I like to think about software development is Syntax and Logic. Syntax is just a bunch of rules to do something a certain way. If you ca play a video game, you can code. There are rules where you have certain buttons you have to press in a certain order for the game to be played, that is the syntax. And the logic comes in with how do you want to play the game, how will it flow. That’s really it. But I won’t pretend that it’s easy, but I can definitely tell you that it is not as hard as you may think it is and it can totally change the trajectory of your life.
But there are a ton of job out there who want and need more developers and it’s a lot of opportunity for black software developers to come in and help fill that pipeline. It’s not just for those who went to school for it, but for those who may want to look at a career change. If you are in a job now and you are not making 6 figures within 5 years, I can attest that if you come into software development, learn, get experience, and discipline yourself, you can do just that.
And you could achieve that in less than 5 years. And they mostly come where it is 100% remote, unlimited PTO, 4% – 8% or more in matching, and more. My inbox is filled with recruiters and my phone blows up with recruiters calling from morning till night.
So if you are a black developers, thinking about becoming a developer, or want to support my efforts in building a deeper pipeline for black developers, I ask that you follow and share. Although I want to help other black developers, it will include others who want to help us achieve this. This is not a project about isolation, it is about elevation for more black developers to come into the fold, elevate their careers, elevate their lives and when that can happen, we can elevate the world together. I have always worked with a diverse good of developers and that will continue, so if you want to help, let’s do what we can to help.
