2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

As technology continues to evolve and spaces in the field of Computer Science (CS) are expanding, the promotion of equity, inclusion, and representation for all need to reflect this evolution and expansion. Even though efforts have been made to address such challenges for women and minorities in CS, more work needs to be done. This is especially the case for black women, who consume and interact with technology at higher rates than any other demographic. Yet, they account for less than 3% of the tech workforce. As Computer Scientists, black women face regular affronts to their character and capabilities because of their race and gender. While the combination of racial and gender discrimination have spanned over decades for black women in CS, the tech industry, and related spaces, efforts regarding their equity, inclusion, and overall representation in these areas need to be addressed more. In recent years, there has been a rise of college-to-company pipeline initiatives with the purpose of increasing the disproportionately under-representation of black women in tech. However, there has only been a slight increase in the representation of black women in tech from these initiatives, which still indicate an insufficient level of their representation in tech.

The objective of this research is to examine critical factors that impact the representation of black women in CS. To look at such factors directly, this article discusses a case-study consisting of a series of focus groups conducted on 24 black women, who were either current CS majors or recent graduates/new professionals in CS. Both groups of women were from the same Historically Black University in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The questions asked during these focus groups covered topics such as: established identity in CS with themselves and others, personal experiences and challenges as a black woman in CS that are gender and/or race related, psycho-social characteristics experienced (e.g. imposter syndrome and confidence), and personal feedback/recommendations for promoting equity, inclusion, and representation of black women in CS. Key results revealed that the majority of these women exhibited an identity with CS. Yet, the majority of them also noted a lack of confidence and exhibiting imposter syndrome as part of their CS experiences. Overall, this research and case study contribute to the attention needed to address equity, inclusion, and representation challenges of black women in CS by highlighting issues faced when trying to develop and establish themselves in the field.