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Path: utzoo!decvax!wivax!linus!genrad!wjh12!n44a!ima!inmet!ramsey
From: ramsey@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Racism in Hi-Tech??? - (nf)
Message-ID: <87@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Jun-83 18:38:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: inmet.87
Posted: Fri Jun  3 18:38:58 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Jun-83 22:48:55 EDT
Lines: 40

#N:inmet:3900004:000:2007
inmet!ramsey    Jun  2 16:32:00 1983

I am black and have worked as a software engineer and occasional project
leader for 10 years now.  I know a number of black friends and relatives
who also work in the computer industry.  Funny, we are technically quite
competent, have in many cases demonstrated good management skills, yet
we have all come to perceive that there is no real future for us within
most of the companies in this field.  Some (like my father) have found
success within the confines of black-owned firms (there are a few out
there), others (like myself and several of my college friends) have
decided to try to start our own companies.  I do not believe the problems
we have encountered to be the result of overt racism (though there have
been instances).  Instead, I think the problems have more to do with
a pervasive societal image that makes all of us picture a technical person
(or manager) as a white male.  Sooner or later, a kind of institutional
blindness seems to make blacks (or women, Jews, ...) non-viable
candidates for promotion to positions beyond a certain level in a 
company (unless of course affirmative action is needed, in which case
a nice, visible, non-critical position can always be found).

To most of you, I'm sure this makes very little sense.  You're
comfortable in the feeling that, as long as you are competent and
play the office political scene properly, there are no limits to
how far you can go.  It is probably inconceivable to you that
some of us are outsiders, not by choice, but by societal convention.
You may think us paranoid, bitter, lacking in qualification and resolve
(if you think of us at all).  I would simply contend that we may have
reason to feel frustrated.

I would be very interested in hearing stories from other blacks,
women, etc.  I would very much like to believe that my friends and
I are being unduly pessimistic.

Thanks for listening,

Marc Ramsey (inmet!ramsey)

p.s. I think this discussion should be moved somewhere more appropriate,
     perhaps net.politics?