Tell Me More's social storytelling series using #NPRBlacksinTech ends on December 20th. Since Decem- ber 2nd, black tech innovators from all over the country have spent a day tweeting about their lives. The social media series is creating new storytelling opportunities that run parallel to what Tell Me More does every day on the radio. If you have been engaging with the #NPRBlacksinTech hashtag, please share your thoughts, comments and suggestions.

1. #NPRBLACKSINTECH
FEEDBACK AND CONTENT IDEAS
DECEMBER, 2013
TELL ME MORE WITH MICHEL MARTIN
@TELLMEMORENPR

2. #NPRBLACKSINTECH
Beginning on December 2, 2013, black tech innovators from all over the country spent a day tweeting about their lives using #NPRBlacksinTech. This
social media series created new storytelling opportunities that ran parallel to what NPR’s Tell Me
More does every day on the radio. In real time and
unfiltered, journalists and the digital public engaged around one hashtag. The series ends on
December 20, 2013. Some comments and feedback follow. Please add yours in the comments
section here and follow us @TellMeMoreNPR.

3. NPR's Tell Me More is again using social media to reach out to a new community of leaders — this time, to recognize black innovators in technology.
African-Americans represent just 5 percent of America's scientists and engineers, according to a 2010 study by the National Science Foundation.
!
!
#NPRBlacksinTech generated over 12,000 Tweets
and millions of impressions.
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4. WHAT ARE WE
LEARNING?
Feedback on #NPRBlacksinTech
Jewell Sparks – CEO of Strategic Diversity Group and BiTHouse;
12/20 contributor
“NPR is in the business of telling stories that start conversations, increase understanding and enrich lives and enliven minds. The@TellMeMoreNPR #NPRBlacksinTech Twitter chats are doing just that, starting
conversations that must be had. This effort has brought together leaders from across the country together via one platform.
This platform has also sparked unity and respect amongst those who
have operated in silos. As an organizational effectiveness expert and
business strategist, I have always felt that unity amongst African American leaders is the first step to productive growth and change. When
people work together, great things can and do happen. A Day In The
Life: Blacks At The Cutting Edge Of Innovation, is motivating our youth.
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5. “...The youth are the future of the world and providing role models for
them who are part of the technology ecosystem will change the world. I
look forward to being part of the story and inspiring others to pursue
their dreams and impact the world in which we live. Facts + Effort +
Unity = Growth + Change“ -- Jewell Sparks
Howard University
Middle School of
Mathematics and
Science students Xavier
Manning and Ciara
Chase at NPR.
Jewell Sparks is the CEO and founder of Strategic Diversity Group and BiTHouse.
Strategic Diversity Group provides out-of-the-box business development solutions
for startups and nonprofits. BiTHouse helps corporate entities and technology organizations find, align, innovate, fund and promote technologies created by minority entrepreneurs and technologists.
Some
of
the
tech
thinkers
are
answering
ques4ons
from
seventh
and
eighth
graders
from
Howard
University's
Middle
School
of
Mathema4cs
and
Science.
Those
stu-­‐
dents
include
Xavier
Manning
and
Ciara
Chase,
who
created
their
own
apps
as
part
of
a
class
project.
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6. AMY TA
Ayori Selassi – Co-founder of Pitch Mixer; 12/02 contributor
“The #NPRBlacksinTech campaign is important because it presents role models that African Americans can relate to whether
you are a current professional, a student in universities, community colleges, or high schools, it shatter the perception that there
are no African Americans in technology.
From the hackathon winning entrepreneur/developer Brian Clark
to the President of a University Walter Kimbrough and all the tech
advocates/social media mavens in between, the message being
sent is "it is being done, there is a network available to support
you". The campaign opens a network for everyone to engage and
brings talented and accomplished individuals out of the woodwork across the nation, many who are not featured in the campaign but are now visible in the twitter feed. “
Ayori Selassie is product manager of Salesforce.com and founder
of Pitch Mixer Entrepreneur Forum. Selassie's passion for technology and entrepreneurship led her to co-found Pitch Mixer, a nonprofit that encourages entrepreneurs in undeveloped communities
to share their business ideas and receive feedback and advice.
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7. DAVAR ARDALAN
Christopher Thames – Series observer, wrote blog post
When I was younger, I was always into technology but there was no
one around to help cultivate my interests. Now here I am at the age of
31, competing against some of the top technologists and engineers in
America (of all colors!). If I maybe had an #NPRBlacksInTech back in
the day, maybe I would already be better off. So I believe this is a great
way to groom the future for a better, brighter America of equal opportunity and resources.
I think that this is a great effort to get some awareness going not only in
the African-American community, but throughout all minority communities as well that may have collective interests in technology or STEM Engineering. I also believe that it is absolutely imperative that nonminorities ask questions as well to educate themselves and to educate
others. Hopefully, this nearly month-long event creates more interest
and sparks up even more positive, large-scale conversations regarding
all minorities in technologically advanced education.
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8. AMY TA
Brian Clark – Entrepreneur - 12/03 contributor
It was great to be involved in more ways of promoting tech to the black
community. It truly is one of my passions that I practice nearly every
day and the more ways I can the better. Favorite tweet that I want to repeat over and over - "@TellMeMoreNPR Q7 want to see kids like me do
as many today have shared- become creators not just consumers.
#NPRBlacksinTech"
Brian Clark is the CEO of Silith.IO, a mobile-first technology company
that creates platforms to simplify and improve users' lives. Previously,
he was a part of GE's Information Technology Leadership Program, driving excellence in technology across all of GE.
“We are at a potential inflection point in getting people of color
into technology... after being left out of past revolutions, the
technology revolution needs to be the most inclusive jump in
human potential and productivity that we’ve seen in this country.” - Anjuan Simmons of Minority Tech via Anisfield-Wolf blog
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9. Mike Street – Head of Blacks in Tech New York - 12/
02 contributor
"#NPRBlacksinTech was an eye-opening experience.
Our community has come so far but we still have a long
way to go. But connecting through this shared experience has help to un-cover even more amazing AfricanAmericans in the technology space. This experience
has helped us to get a better understanding of the work
that we need to do. Thank you NPR for this amazing experience."
Mike Street is the head of BITNY: Blacks in Tech New
York, an organization dedicated to advancing minorities
in technology.
#NPRBlacksinTech featured on Flipboard via Mike Street
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10. AMY TA
AMY TA
This is Tell Me More's first endeavor with this type of social media
outreach, and it's revealing something new and surprising each
day. So far, the participants have included a hackathon champion
from San Francisco; a New Jersey physicist who tweeted about
his nanotechnology research; and an entrepreneur in Wisconsin
who tweeted about the challenges of building a start-up and the
importance of civic tech.
Roxann Stafford is a design strategist at the San Francisco tech
company SecondMuse. She says civic tech is a grassroots movement, joining members of government with all members of a community to solve social problems. "You know these ideas don't
have to come from the top officials, they can come from throughout. And so the ability to recognize, let's say in this situation, that
there was a need around trash collection and more people to be
aware of that — that's a part of that type of dialogue, and it can
result in lots of different things."
Each day of the series has been curated on Storify
www.Storify.com/TellMeMoreNPR
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11. SUGGESTED CONTENT & TECH IDEAS:
1. Leveling the coding field. How do you do this? Hackathons in urban schools? What
about systematic problems of limited access to computers and internet and ongoing issues of poverty and inequality?
2. Hashtag study groups. Are there credible social media initiatives that allow students/
teachers/innovators to engage and even help with projects/homework?
African-Americans
represent just 5
percent of
America's scientists
and engineers,
according to a
2010 study by the
National Science
Foundation.
3. How do you make STEM fun? Integrating HipHop. How is that working without being
corny or cheesy?
4. News app that resonates with the next generation. Howard University Middle School
students are working on a local news app. What other news apps are students creating?
5. Audio fingerprinting. Blacks and Latinos over index on social media. Develop an app
similar to Shazam that allows listeners to capture the LIVE digital footprint of an audio
story as it happens. An app that helps users identify story tracks on the go and tag not
only the topic but who is being interviewed via their social media handles. The app will
make it easier for people to listen and share stories they are interested in.
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