(LIVE TODAY) Decoded: Black Youth & the Technology Sector
WURD Partners with Philly Tech Week to host dialogue with Coded by Kids on Black Youth in Technology
a WURD feature
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WURD Radio (96.1FM / 900AM / WURDRadio.com / WURD App / WURD TV), the only Black owned and operated talk radio station in Pennsylvania and one of a few in the nation, in partnership with Philly Tech Week, a project powered by Technical.ly, is hosting a major discussion TODAY entitled “Decoded” a focus on opportunities for Black youth as future leaders in the technology sector and the role of Black communities in the innovation economy.
This event takes place TODAY and will be broadcast LIVE May 8, 2019 from 1pm - 2pm ET. Also scheduled as a LIVE broadcast on WURD radio, Decoded is a one-on-one exchange between Sylvester Mobley, founder of youth tech education non-profit Coded by Kids, and Sara Lomax-Reese, President & CEO of WURD. It will be in the Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central, at 1901 Vine Street in Philadelphia.
Mobley is the winner of the 2018 Philadelphia Award, and a widely known innovator in the field of tech education. Establishing Coded by Kids, Mobley’s mission has focused on creating expanded opportunities for underserved, under-advantaged youth in the technology space, ensuring that every child has the support, resources and opportunities to build the next Google, Microsoft or Facebook.
“As recent Nielsen research shows, 9 percent of African Americans live in a household that owns a smartphone, 28 percent of Twitter’s 67 million users are Black and more than half the Black population in the U.S. is living through this fast-evolving digital age,” said Lomax-Reese. “But is that translating into greater Black ownership of that technology versus being consumers? Are we encouraging more ‘techpreneurship’ and the growth of a Black talent pipeline into the lucrative innovation space? Black professionals represent less than 9 percent of all Computer and Math occupations in the United States, and just 7 percent of tech sector jobs while only 2 percent of tech industry executives are Black. That’s a real problem requiring fresh ideas and solutions now. This is a needed discussion and we’re pleased to host it.”
This WURD/Philly Tech Week discussion is open to the public. Registration for the event is here on the WURD EventBrite page. ForWURD members receive priority seating. Doors open at 12:30pm.
Listeners of the LIVE broadcast on WURD radio are encouraged to engage on social media at #WURDonTech.
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About WURD Radio - WURD (96.1FM | 900AM | wurdradio.com | WURD App) is the only Black owned and operated multimedia talk radio station in Pennsylvania, and one of the few in the country. WURD serves as the heartbeat and pulse of Philadelphia’s Black community by providing information and solutions that educate, uplift and inspire. Since our inception in 2003, we pride ourselves on being a strong voice for the issues that matter. More information on WURD is at wurdradio.com or by following @onWURD