{"id":102753,"date":"2026-02-26T01:08:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T04:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/895662542"},"modified":"2026-02-26T01:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T04:08:46","slug":"black-tech-leaders-call-for-ownership-access-and-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/26\/black-tech-leaders-call-for-ownership-access-and-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Black tech leaders call for ownership, access and leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"newspack-popup-container newspack-lightbox newspack-popup hidden newspack-lightbox-placement-center newspack-lightbox-size-medium \" role=\"button\" id=\"id_282787\" data-segments=\"15050\" data-frequency=\"0,0,1,day\" data-scroll=\"40\">\n<div class=\"newspack-popup-wrapper \" data-popup-status=\"publish\">\n<div class=\"newspack-popup__content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"newspack-popup__content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/afro.com\/donate\/\"><img data-opt-id=346367844  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-perfmatters-preload data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"640\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/afro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1.png?resize=640%2C320&amp;ssl=1\" alt class=\"wp-image-309505\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p> <button class=\"newspack-lightbox__close\" aria-label=\"Close Pop-up\">    <\/button> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>By Victoria Mejicanos<br \/>AFRO Staff Writer<br \/><a href=\"mailto:vmejicanos@afro.com\">vmejicanos@afro.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This Black History Month, the <em>AFRO<\/em> spoke with three tech experts in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore area about where tech has been and where it\u2019s going.<\/p>\n<p>Khalif Cooper is a self-taught software engineer who spends his days coding and organizing events for a group he founded, called Black Tech Connect. The organization is made up of Black technology professionals who support each other and share resources and ideas. Cooper says he built the space after not having one as he came up in the sector.<\/p>\n<p>He says his goal is to \u201cbuild unicorns\u201d (experts with unique qualities) who can continue to transform Baltimore into the tech hub he feels it can be. Cooper shared that there are already lots of biotech companies, but what\u2019s missing is community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<aside> <\/aside>\n<aside> <\/aside>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-opt-id=750270256  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"704\" height=\"629\" src=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/afro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-Copy-of-Jasmine-Wooten3.jpg?resize=704%2C629&amp;ssl=1\" alt class=\"wp-image-312501\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Wooton is the founder of Sys2Win, an operations consultancy that works with tech consultants and coaches to help them streamline their creative processes. (Courtesy Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThey need the grassroots communities to come support,\u201d said Cooper.&nbsp; \u201cIf they have that, there will be another Silicon Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jasmine Wooton is the founder of Sys2Win, an operations consultancy that works with tech consultants and coaches to help them streamline their creative processes. She echoed Cooper\u2019s sentiments and believes that tech and its growth has to do entirely with resources.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1 \">@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 10px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 10px;}} <\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIf you have access to the hardware and Wi-Fi, any place can be a tech hub,\u201d said Wooton. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where it is\u2013 where there is creativity, there can be a tech hub, because you can use technology in so many different ways.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Despite growing opportunities, excitement around technology is often met with hesitation in Black communities, especially as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more visible in everyday life and <a href=\"https:\/\/afro.com\/ai-surveillance-in-schools-civil-rights-concerns\/\">incidents of discrimination<\/a> dominate headlines.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-opt-id=300082180  data-opt-src=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/afro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2-Copy-of-MarKeisha-Snaith3.jpg\"  decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" width=\"663\" height=\"579\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20fill%3D%22transparent%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E?resize=663%2C579&amp;ssl=1\" alt class=\"wp-image-312502\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">MarKeisha Snaith is an expert in AI governance, which she considers the closest to having a seat at the table when it comes to shaping AI and how it behaves. (Courtesy Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>MarKeisha Snaith works in AI governance, which she says is the closest thing to having a seat at the table with AI. Those in AI governance decide things such as what data can be used and what risks can be tolerated. Snaith said that concerns of AI bias are valid, noting that AI has created \u201cinvisible infrastructure,\u201d as it continues to be used for hiring, lending, healthcare and education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPower is protection,\u201d Snaith said. \u201cIf Black people aren\u2019t in the rooms where these systems are being designed and being audited and being governed, then we\u2019re not shaping how those decisions get made. We\u2019re just really living with the consequences that come after it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2 \">@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 10px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 10px;}} <\/aside>\n<p>Snaith said in general, it would help Black people to be more technical, and that skillset, if practiced, can make them stand out in a tough job market. She shared that MIT and Google have provided free AI courses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wooton shared that disengagement is what can cause barriers and lead people to be left behind as technology continues to advance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would say to the people who are hesitant about AI that it\u2019s okay to be hesitant,\u201d said Wooton. \u201cIt\u2019s not okay to freeze.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside> <\/aside>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\"> <\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230; <span class=\"match\">Tech<\/span> Connect. The organization is made up of Black <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> &#8230; be a <span class=\"match\">tech<\/span> hub, because you can use <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> in so &#8230; growing opportunities, excitement around <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> is often met with hesitation &#8230; to be left behind as <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> continues to advance.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u0080\u009cI &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102753\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}