Jesse Jackson gathers tech leaders for frank conversation about diversity

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Delegates from some of Silicon Valley's most powerful companies gathered with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to tackle a problem far more nuanced than battery life, traffic growth or user engagement: the lack of diversity in their ranks.

Representatives from Google, Cisco, Microsoft and more than 20 other companies descended on Intel's Santa Clara campus for a summit hosted by Rainbow PUSH, Jackson's group. Rev Jackson has spent much of the past year crusading for tech companies to diversify their ranks and, as a first step, open up to the public about the makeup of their workforces -- a move they have long resisted despite efforts from the San Jose Mercury News and other news outlets. Rev Jackson delivered a stark assessment of the state of diversity in the valley. Sketching out a vision of tech companies as diverse as the people who use their gadgets, Jackson said he set his sights on the region because he believes expanding access to the tech industry is the civil rights imperative of the era. As Rev Jackson urged the tech industry to seize the moment, audience members repeated after him word for word: "Beyond slavery, segregation and the right to vote, we need the fourth stage: access to capital, industry, technology, deal flow and relationships."


Jesse Jackson gathers tech leaders for frank conversation about diversity Rev. Jackson gets Silicon Valley to talk diversity (USAToday)