Chronicles of a Black Man in IT (Overview)

By

Robert A. Jackson, Jr.

Sometimes we find ourselves in positions that we would never expect. Those that know me know that I have been in IT for almost 14.5yrs. That journey has come with several ups and downs.

For most of that timeframe, I was the only Black Man. I was the only person of color for the first (6) years. We now have (3) Black Women, (2) Latina Women, and another Black Man starting soon.

Someone may be reading this and wondering why this makes a difference? I’m glad you asked. Let me give a glimpse into my perspective of how I’ve seen during this journey.

On several occasions throughout my life, I have dealt with being the only Black Man or Black Person in the room. When I got to this department in 2008, I found myself in this situation again. I came into this position (3) years after completing my Computer Science Degree (specializing in Software Engineering) from Alabama A&M University. This was my first IT position and I had a learning curve to overcome because the job consisted of more hardware than software.

Things seemed to be going great until November 4th, 2008. It was probably the first time that I paid attention to how much the American Political Process influenced the thinking of people. That night I got to witness a man who looked like me finally become President of the United States of America. My joy was met with immediate opposition for different reasons. Things were tense at times while working in an environment where people allowed their political affiliations to determine how they treated others.

I adjusted to find out how to navigating those waters. Things got worse the weeks following the events of February 26th, 2012. I never imagined being around so many people who called themselves Christians have such disregard for the loss of life of a young black boy. The conversations that I heard upset me and disappointed me with American Christianity. There were several other tragic events over the years and there was absolutely no empathy shown towards my feelings because I found out some did not see my Blackness.

One may be asking, “Why do you define yourself by a color? I would respond by asking why should I not be proud of who God made me to be? Plus, I am more than just the color of my skin. The ideology of Blackness embraces the African Philosophy of Unbuntu.

Nevertheless, I was viewed by how people thought I voted. This is a fallacy because many of them never took the time to truly learn who I was. I don’t define myself by a vote. I am more. But this culture did not recognize that. It was intriguing to be around a group of people who identified as Christian but their vernacular was that of political pundits.

Because of this they could not see my Blackness. They didn’t see exactly who I am because they thought they knew me. I was viewed from a general standpoint. So, I learned to suppress my feelings. Those reading this may be saying, “You shouldn’t be concerned about color.” That Ma’am/Sir, that right there is the problem today. We have been conditioned to forget or ignore who we are so that we can fit into groups who don’t deem diversity to be a necessity.

Years ago, I was told by a Wise Black Man who told me, “Robert, there are people here who don’t believe that you should be in the position that you are in.” This was a position that I had to earn. I spent 5.5yrs in undergrad and 3yrs working several jobs before this IT position. But, you mean to tell me that after almost 9yrs of preparation there was going to be someone who didn’t think I deserved this position?

Anyway, I learned to code switch so that I could make money to provide for my family. There were many days that I went to work and did not want to be in an environment where it felt like people could care less about learning who I was. Yet, I learned so much about them. This is why I kept my circle small. Those who were in that circle helped me to learn the skills that I needed to build my career. I am grateful for them.

Recently, I had the pleasure to chat with the man who paved the way for me and many other people of color in the IT Department that I work in currently. It was refreshing and a joy to talk to someone who understood me and understood exactly what I have experienced over the years. He understood me without me having to take the time to explain myself. I appreciate how God sends people along from time to time to remind you that you are not alone. Being a Black Man in IT is not always as easy as it looks. I’ve experienced things that that I may share in a future blog. My journey has been challenging but I know that it has been a journey led by the Spirit of God for me to be able to encourage those who have come along after me. So, I want to end this blog by encouraging all of my melanated sisters and brothers to continue to shine wherever God has placed you because you are greatness!