Navarrow Wright, Erica Campbell, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., and Malik Ducard attend the Push 2020 Los Angeles Forum
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition partnered with Google to present the “Dream Makers, Risk Takers and Money Makers: Diversity and Inclusion in Tech Forum” at the Google headquarters in Los Angeles. This forum is part of an ongoing program designed to identify ways to open access and create pathways for people of color into the technology industry, as well as increase the level of diversity in Silicon Valley and beyond. Reverend Jesse Jackson and Google executives were on hand to discuss the efforts of Rainbow PUSH, along with a panel of esteemed technology executives who explored the best ways to increase diversity and innovation in technology.
Participants included Malik Ducard, Global Head of Family & Learning, YouTube; Navarrow Wright, Founder, The Close the Divide Project; Jamaal Finkley, President, Black Tree TV; Pierre Johnson, Executive Director, Peggy Beatrice Foundation; Kelly Redmond, Executive Director, Impact Media & Entertainment Coalition; and Sheila Marmon, Founder & CEO, Mirror Digital.
The main discussion began with a panel led by Navarrow Wright, who moderated the executive panel examining the opportunities and challenges minorities face in technology. Taking advantage of those opportunities, the executives agreed, will lead to great progress and diversification in technological industries. Each panelist gave insight into how the rapidly changing nature of technology and the spread of information will allow people of any color to gain a foothold in the industry and monetize their efforts.
Following the panel, Wright sat down for a fireside chat with Grammy-winning gospel singer/songwriter Erica Campbell to discuss launching and growing her YouTube channel and content creation.
“If you are trying to reach people, social media is a great way to find out if you have. Each [YouTube] subscriber is not just a number for me. They are a person who is interested in what I am doing,” said Campbell.
