The Next Great Migration (Technology Movement)

Being Black in America is a unique experience in and of itself, being a Black I.T. Professional adds another level of uniqueness and experience.  Often times, as with many professions, you’re the only Black in the class, in the office, or in the organization and usually you become the technical expert to all of your family and friends.  However I believe there is an opportunity to change that.

As Blacks are becoming more and more dependent on technology advancements, and see the value of not just  implementing technology but also being an innovator in the technology field I believe more Blacks will be attracted to the industry in many ways.  As it was in the 1910s there may be an economic current that forces a movement for more Blacks to consider careers in the Technology Industry.

The Great Migration occurred primarily as the Agriculture Age started to demise, and Industrial Age began to mature and there was great demand for skilled labor to work in the factories.  Well, unfortunately many of those labor jobs have either been automated or outsourced due mainly in part to the Information Age.  Like the Agriculture Age, the Industrial Age has seen greater days behind it and the Information Age is starting to mature more and there is a great demand for skilled technical labor.

I personally believe the Technology Movement will give many Blacks the opportunity to be highly employable and entrepreneurial.  With sites such as odesk.com, you can become an expert in virtually any area of IT and make a ‘good’ living.  With attractive salaries, endless vertical/horizontal potential, and cross-sector demand – may Blacks will have an opportunity to improve their social-economic conditions with rewarding careers.

Of course IT Careers aren’t for everyone, as New York City, NY or Paris, Texas isn’t for everyone; but having some of the tangible skill-sets (problem solving, analytic skills, and the ability to work in teams) is valuable on any tool-belt.

“How will you make it if you never even try / You need to git up, git out and git something / Cause you and I got to do for you and I”