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Author: Raquel Smith
"Black women are immensely underrepresented in senior management and operations of corporate America, especially in the world of tech. Among the leaders of Fortune 500 companies, are a mere 32 women and not a single one is a black woman. Although the statistics look dim from this angle, there is some progress being made in diversifying the board of directors of the nation’s largest tech companies. According to the Missing Pieces Report: The 2016 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards,
“some progress has been made for African American/s blacks in securing/ holding Fortune 500 board seats.” Fortune 500 boards saw an increase of black female board members by 18.4 percent between 2012 and 2016.
So, why does this matter? Board members are the influencers behind these powerful tech corporations, providing guidance to the CEOs and senior management. The decisions made in the boardroom affect us all. Therefore a diverse board is a critical element to influence policy and represent the best interests of the black community. Not only is diversity in the best interest of our community, but it is also in the best interest of the corporations themselves. A report by McKinsey & Company in 2015, Why diversity Matters, showed that at the board of directors level, more ethnically and cultural diverse companies were 35% more likely to see above-average profits. Take a look of some of these rockstar women who have climbed their way to the boardrooms of these massive tech companies."