Why I'm Co-Leading this Group:
I'm co-leading this group to achieve a singular moral vision and also to have FUN helping Black Youth and build a coalition of Equity Builders within the YC Community & Broader Tech Community.
Background on The Name:
The Civil Rights Movement lasted from 1954-1968. Groups in that movement include the SNCC, CORE, SCLC and the NAACP. As of 2020 we believe we have firmly transitioned beyond the humble demand of Civility and even Equality. The world is protesting in pursuit of Equity & Healing.
At 100+ YC Founders our group fits within the larger trend of demanding Equity alongside the ACLU (also YC), BLM, BlackTechForBlackLives & so many others orgs. We see this trend as the initiation of the Equity Rights Movement. Given this, we've decided to name our group Tech Equity Rights Movement (T.E.R.M)
Background on Vision (Please leave comments / questions):
I have a singular moral vision: Heal racial bias, fly along the path of equity and reach the promise land of true race equality and liberation. Two other Y-Combinator Founders Robyn Exton, Founder of HER, and David Hua, Founder of Meadow, and I have joined forces to build a group dedicated to racial equity.
Working together and taking action is essential during this historic moment. Our focus is to measure & eliminate racial bias within YC companies and communities and then share those insights with the rest of the world. I believe we can heal racial trauma & racism one community at a time, and that it can and MUST be solved in our lifetime.
Racism operates almost like a brain injury — a set of subconscious thoughts and beliefs people picked up as kids from cultural narratives that stick with them even if they consciously feel differently as an adult today. We can no longer allow unconscious biases and judgments to rule our behavior and thoughts. We must work to heal our biases.