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My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

latimes.com

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Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#61

Post by Angostura »

dasil003 wrote: post #38
goldcd wrote: post #8

I was happily nodding along, until I got to: "Somehow, he managed to obtain copies of the IBM entrance examination questions and answers, which he surreptitiously shared with promising young black job applicants. He coached them on passing the exam and succeeding in their interviews. Many were subsequently hired." I'm sure this helped contribute to an increase in black hires, but is a stupidly short-sighted thing to…

Your response is confusing to me. His son telling the story 70 years later hardly qualifies as boasting. I'm not sure what is short-sighted about the first black man hired by IBM helping other blacks get hired in an era of not just systematic, but explicit and open racism. Perhaps you're saying it's short-sighted if he got caught or brought in unqualified people, but he was no doubt keenly aware of the stacked deck a…

I think he was saying it was unwise to tell anyone about it.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#62

Post by sumedh »

goldcd wrote: post #8

I was happily nodding along, until I got to: "Somehow, he managed to obtain copies of the IBM entrance examination questions and answers, which he surreptitiously shared with promising young black job applicants. He coached them on passing the exam and succeeding in their interviews. Many were subsequently hired." I'm sure this helped contribute to an increase in black hires, but is a stupidly short-sighted thing to…

There are many sites which have interview questions of famous tech companies, looking at those questions is cheating?

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#63

Post by [deleted] »

throwawayjava wrote: post #60
povertyworld wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of the pipeline problem is that you're not winning over the most high achieving minority students to stem. I remember there was a Mexican American woman in one of my calc classes that was easily the best student and smoked everyone else (granted, it was at a second rate state school), but when asked what she wanted to do, she said she was going to be a dentist. People coming from underrepresented backgrounds don…

Yes, the gutters might be clogged.

[deleted]

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#64

Post by rat87 »

tasogare wrote: post #7
bluedino wrote: post #2

I was expecting stories from his father, or about his father. Instead, the author talks about IBM's "support" of Nazi Germany and ends with statistics on the low amount of African-Americans employed in the tech industry. Yet the percentage of blacks and non-Asian minorities in high-tech professions consistently remains under 2%. For minority women, the numbers are even more dismal. Recent studies conclude this is not…

> and non-Asian minorities Ah, the classical trick of excluding data points that don't fit the narrative. It's far more convenient to blame the Bad White Man for everything than to ask the real questions.

racism is a major problem and a how to fight racism in hiring as well as society is a real question.

Asian minorities also suffer from racism but it doesn't necessarily work the same way or have the same stereotypes attached

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#65

Post by cameronbrown »

bsanr wrote: post #54
cameronbrown wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes.

I find that difficult to believe, if you're being intellectually honest.

To be honest, I'm just not used to living in a place with ethnic division along geographic boundaries. It may exist, but I've not personally seen it so yea, it's hard to imagine. Not saying it doesn't exist, but you asked the question to me personally.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#67

Post by kls »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #47
kls wrote: post #29

Tangentially related to the article but I think my story is a good reality check for myself and others about racism. Now I am one of those individuals that ascribe every malty or advantage to racism but I absolutely agree that in form it still exists and sometimes those perpetuating it do not even know they are doing it. Anyways on to my story and on to one of the absolute best things that ever happened to me in my l…

>'That being said, had someone of my same race had not choose me over the more qualified candidate I would not be where I am today', // That's clearly unfair. The insinuation is that only non-black people can achieve the best qualifications, which seems exceedingly offensive. What was your intended take-away -- surely not "nepotism/racism are fine if you're black [in USA]"?

I believe the insinuation per the CEO was that even if they where equally qualified that the overwhelming representation of white candidates would cancel out their chance. He is not a bad man, he is a caring and very compassionate man, who believed he was doing good for a fellow human. It was as eye opening to him, when we talked about it and he came to the realization that he was guilty of the same discrimination that he had endured. It's so subtle that it can easily slip by.

My take away was that it really, butt hurts you bad when it happens to you and we as white people rarely experience said butt hurt. It puts things into perspective and I am thankful for that perspective.

Point being, I don't think it was fair and I am not justifying his actions, but it helps me relate to the feeling that black Americans feel. A little empathy goes a long way and the perspective taught me empathy without pandering.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#68

Post by citrablue »

sumedh wrote: post #62
goldcd wrote: post #8

I was happily nodding along, until I got to: "Somehow, he managed to obtain copies of the IBM entrance examination questions and answers, which he surreptitiously shared with promising young black job applicants. He coached them on passing the exam and succeeding in their interviews. Many were subsequently hired." I'm sure this helped contribute to an increase in black hires, but is a stupidly short-sighted thing to…

There are many sites which have interview questions of famous tech companies, looking at those questions is cheating?

It becomes cheating when it's an unfair advantage that isn't available to other people. The fact that it was cheating based on race makes it problematic. The fact that black applications likely faced other unfair difficulties makes it less problematic.

I guess it boils down to whether you think life should be like golf, where (terrible term in this context, apologies for the usage here) you carry a handicap to level the playing field.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#69

Post by bsanr »

GhettoMaestro wrote: post #56
bsanr wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Am I wrong, or just annoying?

I personally think you are annoying and hyper-sensitive. I do not have enough information to say if you are definitively wrong. But it wouldn't shock me.

I'll care what you think of me when you care to get "enough information" to say anything of worth.

Re: My father was IBM’s first black software engineer

#70

Post by wolf550e »

ericlewis wrote: post #13
codingdave wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure how it is any different than studying for whiteboard interviews. Especially in a time period when educational opportunities were not equal.

It’s not, except for bragging about the theft of the material and sharing part.

Telling people what kind of questions are asked, or what topics are important is very different from telling people the specific questions and answers!
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