On September 23, 1962, Hanna-Barbera aired the infamous cartoon called The Jetsons. The cartoon sets up the premise of a futuristic society that has flying cars, computers, robots, and other technological advancements. The Jetsons sets the tone on how our future would be forecasted. We are now living in an age where there’s computers, tablets, social media accounts, smartphones and wearable technologies to keep us mobile and flexible at all times.
I remember a time when my first computer was a hand-me down Texas Instrument TI-99 computer keyboard. The computer was connected to your television and you was able to play games or type programs. I was fortunate to have an Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo GameBoy, and a Sega Genesis 16-Bit. These devices were connected to a computer with a gaming cartridge. It has been over 40 years since these devices were created. These gaming consoles have paved the way for future gaming consoles for the future.
Throughout my formal primary and secondary education, I had the opportunity to take computer classes. Computers were an essential component in my formal schooling. There were educational games like Number Munchers, Word Munchers, and The Oregon Trail that enhanced a child’s learning as well as making the subject matter fun. In Today’s Society, we have kids that are quick to have a smartphone in their hands to communicate with their peers through social media. As a society, we take Technology for granted. From your jobs, cars, schooling, and home, we use technology for everything and not realizing why it is a part of everyday chore. There is a dire need for African-Americans to engage in Computer Science. However, one must ask the question: Why aren’t there enough African-Americans engaged in Computer Science?
When people think of Computer Science, they think of the geeky boys with the pocket-protectors, suspenders, and glasses, or in this case the lame NERDS. You need to thank God for the Nerds because they are the ones that have created your smart devices in which you depend on for everyday activity. Thank them because you want to remain flexible and mobile verses being stationary. The Computer Science/Information Technology industry is the most lucrative and competitive industry in the world.
Computer Science is a broad subject and it’s not just programming. When you break down the essence of Computer Science, you start to lean towards Information Technology, CyberSecurity, Programming, and other facets of technologies that are vital to our everyday activity. If one wanted to go into the Music Industry, there’s programs that would allow individuals to learn the music technology in the studios.
There is a low percentage of African-Americans that are in Computer Science. Scholarships and organizations like IEEE ACM, NSBE, WIT, to name a few, are engaging more African-Americans to participating in this industry, primarily a focus in WOMEN! People don’t want to major or engage in Computer Science because of the Math Courses, Certifications, or Challenges the industry may present itself. HOWEVER, HOW BAD DO YOU NEED YOUR SMARTPHONE, COMPUTER, TABLET, SMARTWATCHES, ETC?
I am an advocate for having more Computer Science courses in Primary, Secondary, and Collegiate levels in order to graduate. You will be surprised that people that don’t know how to use Microsoft Word of Google Docs but quick to get on Facebook, Instagram, and SnapChat. The concepts in Computer Science and Information Technology is evolving and we need more African-Americans to take an initiative in this industry. We need more African-Americans to create vital applications for our devices. We need African-Americans to create more STEM focused programs and majoring in Computer Science because it’s not going anywhere. Computer Science may be a challenge, but we can overcome the barriers. Computer Science can be a fun subject if you understand the logic and design in the subject matter.
If I could do it all over again, I would have started in Computer Science and become like the Brain and Take Over the World. It’s never too late to Take Over the Computer Science/Information Technology World if you embrace it. Get ready for the latest technology in 2018!
#HireMe #Passionate #HBCU #WomenInTech #STEM #CISSPBOUND #CyberSecurity #NetworkSecurityEngineering
ACWCYBERANG 