I was struck by an article in the local paper about a formerly impoverished young African American man, Ajmaj Jackson Brown, a recent graduate from Hampshire College. Because his interests in computers had been encouraged in high school, he found himself able to easily transition into his college classes and quickly able to support himself through college with newly acquired skills.
He noted that a very small percentage of African Americans populate the employee ranks of the high tech social media companies like Google and Facebook. His question to himself: How could he replicate his own path to success for other talented highschoolers? Continue reading