The origins of Black History Month

February is Black History Month and Foundry is taking this opportunity to celebrate, raise awareness of and pursue continual learning of Black history. Black History Month was created by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926 as Negro History week. Dr. Woodson wanted Black people to be proud of their heritage and inspire other Americans to understand it.

Celebrating the music, career and stories of Black Americans influencing tech now and in the future

In honor of Dr. Woodson’s vision and in observation of Black History Month, Foundry has compiled resources to spotlight the contributions of Black Americans in tech. These resources are meant to increase your awareness of the historical role Black Americans have had in past, present, and future tech innovations.

  • Amplifying Black voices is a must. Zackarie Lemelle, former CIO for Johnson & Johnson, Kai Bond, Partner at Courtside VC, and Van D. Richardson, CIO of iManage share their experiences on Being Black in IT.
  • Hidden figures: 7 Black programmers you should know | InfoWorld – If you didn’t know them, now you do. These 7 Black programmers are software pioneers and played key roles in software innovations.
  • Where to find and recruit Black tech pros | Computerworld: Looking to hire tech pros? Look no further. Computerworld gives you all the details on where to find and recruit Black tech pros.
  • Apple releases for February 2022 | Macworld: MacWorld highlights special edition Black History Month releases from Apple, including the special edition Unity Braided Solo Loop band for the Apple watch, as well as what is going on in this month from Apple Fitness to Books.
  • More Black cybersecurity professionals are needed in cybersecurity. That is why cybersecurity pro Alana Scott and her colleague Michaela Barnett created Blacks in Cybersecurity (BIC). Learn how BIC is removing roadblocks for Black security pros, helping to fill a need in the job market and advancing the careers of its members in this CSO feature.
Why it’s important to us

As a global organization, Foundry has a strong commitment to Diversity & Inclusion. In 2018, Foundry formed an internal Diversity & Inclusion Council to serve as an advocate, resource, and facilitator for the company to drive towards increased Diversity & Inclusion. Part of the effort of the Council is to ensure that Diversity & Inclusion is not only indicative of our culture but that it’s in our company’s DNA. We are glad to have a broad representation of Diversity & Inclusion Delegates and Champions globally, who serve on the Council but also recognize that every IDG employee has a role to play in bringing greater awareness, conversation and learning across many Diversity & Inclusion areas.