Women in Tech History: Black History Month
In a new series of Breaking the Glass Ceiling, hosts, Dawn Mott and Kimberly Embry, learn about and reflect on the inspiring women that have paved and continue to pave the way in mathematics, science, and technology. For the month of February, this episode of WIT(H) (or Women in Tech History) starts with Black History Month. Join us as we focus on the accomplishments and experiences of Annie J Easley, Latanya Sweeney, Dr. Gladys Mae West, and Lindsey Murphy.
Transcript
Megan Bigelow: Welcome to Breaking The Glass Ceiling: A PDXWIT Podcast. I’m Megan Bigelow, the Founder and Board President of PDXWIT. We interview people to dig below the surface of their achievements and challenges, showcasing the story behind the story. We believe that focusing on the person and humanizing their lived experiences will help us shape the future of tech.
Kimberly: Hello, everyone! Kimberly Embry here.
Dawn: Dawn Mott here.
Kimberly: She/her for me.
Dawn: She/her for me.
Kimberly: [laughs] So, we’re trying something new out. We really wanted to do this to commemorate and bring attention to the different diversity holidays or months that we observe as a nation. And this first one is for Black History Month.
Dawn: Yep.
Kimberly: This segment is something different. We’re working on a tangent here in parallel with our regular season. This segment is called Women in Tech...
Dawn and Kimberly: ...HISTORY!
Kimberly: Or WIT(H). Which is kind of catchy to do. So, what you’re about to hear is Dawn and I reading some biographies that have been written by volunteers of PDXWIT, and one that was actually written by us...
Dawn: ...By Kimberly Embry.
Kimberly: ...By us. We totally partnered on this. [laughs] You are about to hear Dawn and I reading this and having a casual conversation around four black women that have been involved in tech. And then also, PDXWIT is volunteering with Friends of Trees to plant some native trees and shrubs at Nadaka Park in Portland Oregon.
Dawn: Yeah, so check them out if you’re up in that area.
Kimberly: Mhm.
Dawn: Yep, and like Kimberly said, we’re going to try to do this again. So if there's anyone that you would like to see highlighted, please let us know.
Kimberly: Yeah, definitely. Hope you enjoy.
Dawn: Thank you.
Kimberly: So, we can get started today. This is going to be more of a mini-episode again highlighting a few notable black women in tech. We are going to start off with Annie J. Easley. So, Annie J. Easley had a multi-decade career with NASA.
Dawn: NASA!!!
Kimberly: Yes! Big, big, big. So, she was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1933. She was raised by a single mother who instilled in her the value of education. Growing up, Easley’s mother told her, “you can do anything you want to, but you have to work at it.”
Dawn: Kimberly, can I ask you if your mom ever asked you anything similar or told you anything similar?
Kimberly: She definitely told me I had to work at it.
Dawn: Good mom.
Kimberly: Yeah. How about you?
Dawn: Me? Hm.. I could do anything I wanted to. And I got in a lot of trouble for it.
Kimberly: [laughs] And you didn’t have to work for it? It was fine?
Dawn: No, I work for it now. [ugh] no, I love working.
Kimberly: You know, though, like, having both that message together I think is really important and like that makes a difference. It’s not… like instilling in a child like ‘hey you can do something’ especially at this time, right, in life where probably a woman - a black woman - seeking an education is not necessarily a part of the social norms. To have your mother support you, and not just support you, but tell you ‘hey, you can do it, just put in the work’ I think is inspiring and also realistic.
Dawn: Hm. Yeah.
Kimberly: For all the moms out there.
Dawn: In 1955, Annie Easley saw an ad in a newspaper, to compute math calculations at a space exploration lab. That lab was NASA.
Kimberly: [giggles]
Dawn: She joined NASA as one of only four black employees. Throughout her 34 year career, Easley worked continuously to elevate her skill, becoming an invaluable asset. In the midst of her career with NASA, Easley completed her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics at Cleveland State University. Just as her mother had told her, she proved she could achieve anything she wanted if she worked towards it.
Kimberly: Ok, after reading those paragraphs, I do want to say: That is HARD! Like, you have a career at NASA, and you get your degree in Mathematics.
Dawn: Hm, endless energy this one.
Kimberly: Like, at the same time. I’m sure that was a full-time, you know -
Dawn: Full-time plus.
Kimberly: Full-time gig. Oh my gosh! For both.
Dawn: And she was… I thought it said that she was a mother. Maybe she was. We don’t know.
Kimberly: At some point, maybe. But, amazing, to be able to accomplish both of those things at the same time. To go work at NASA, which - hello! NASA! - and coming in as one of only four black employees.
Dawn: Hm.
Kimberly: Like, I can’t imagine all of the work, emotional work, like actual work… by actual, I mean like, you know, the part that you get paid for. It’s just so much to do. So, Easley worked as a computer programmer on the CENTAUR launch system. Please do not hate me if I mispronounced that. But this technology set the foundation for space shuttle launches, as well as communication, military, and weather satellites. Easley’s work is still relevant today. You will notice it being used in the hybrid batteries that we have in our cars, or the batteries for hybrid cars that we have today. And also, she was influenced by using, you know, alternative energy sources and battery storage lifespans.
Dawn and Kimberly: That’s pretty great.
Kimberly: Yeah, I agree.
Dawn: I love the long life of my cell phone.
Kimberly: Very funny. I mean, who doesn’t? [laughs]
Dawn: Thanks, Annie Easley!
Kimberly: Yes, thank you Annie! Alright, so next, we’ve got Latanya Sweeney. So if you have ever signed any form of medical privacy paperwork -
Dawn: I have.
Kimberly: Oh, I definitely have. ...You have experienced firsthand Dr. Latanya Sweeney’s passion. Her skill in applying technology has been used to solve societal, political, and government problems, especially around data privacy, and this has made a big impact on our lives as we know them, and maybe Facebook can read into that more. Sorry - sidenote.
Dawn: Yeah. Sidenote - please stop reading everything I do online and then showing it back to me later. It’s weird.
Kimberly: Don’t craft my experience. I would like to craft my own experience.Dawn: We will craft our own experiences just like we are crafting this episode.
Kimberly: Yes!
Dawn: So, Latanya Sweeney was also a trailblazer for women in tech - women of color in tech? - yes. That’s who she was influential to. Well, lots of people. But, women of color in tech, too. Sweeney was the first African-American woman to earn her PhD in Computer Science from MIT.
Dawn: Hm. Impressive.
Kimberly: That is seriously impressive.
Dawn: Mhm.
Kimberly: What a legacy. Ok, before I get sidetracked... She founded and directs the data privacy lab - directs, present tense - at Harvard University. There, she aims to reimagine the ever-changing world defined by emerging technologies.
Dawn: As a former Chief Technology Officer of the Federal Trade Commission, she works to open up a path for anyone looking to create innovative solutions at the intersection of technology, policy, and business.
Kimberly: Professor Latanya Sweeney has received numerous professional and academic accolades and her vigilance comes at a critical time in history as we enter into unchartered territory around data sharing decisions - Can I get an ‘amen?’
Dawn: Amen!
Kimberly: - and weigh the benefits - thank you - to our cost of privacy. Ok so she has a PhD. So obviously, she’s a Doctor, a Professor, a CTO.
Dawn: Mhm.
Kimberly: Protecting our data. Doctor, Professor.
Dawn: Doctor, Professor!
Kimberly: Professor, Doctor? LaTonya Sweeney… my goodness. Thank you for -
Dawn: -your service.
Kimberly: Yeah. And like, protecting our data. Someone’s gotta do it. So next, we have Dr. Gladys May West. Dr. Gladys May West is the daughter of farmers. She attended Virginia State College on a scholarship - excuse me - going on to obtain her degree in Mathematics, after which she became a teacher, and also went back to school to earn her Masters.
Dawn: Lot of mathematics going on with these women.
Kimberly: Oof - that goes for them. Definitely not for me. Sorry.
Dawn: No, let’s hear about what Dr. West did in 1956. Back then, she was one of only two African American women employed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center - Dahlgren Division.
Kimberly: My goodness. That’s heavy. So, during her 42 years of service, she was commissioned by the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory to support research in a pathbreaking, award-winning astronomical study that proved the regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune.
Dawn: Wow.
Kimberly: Like - mind blown.
Dawn: What do you think she would think about Pluto now, though?
Kimberly: Who cares about Pluto now? Just kidding.
Dawn: Whoa. Alright, Kimberly.
Kimberly: I think that’s what our science books say now. [laughs]
Dawn: Ok, well... Relevant to my career, she was also a geospatial pioneer, which is pretty rad. From the mid-1970’s to the 1980’s, her computing work on a geodetic Earth model led to what became the first GPS orbit. In 1979, Dr. West was recommended for a military commendation. Her supervisor praised her work, stating “this involved planning and executing several highly-complex computer algorithms, which have to analyze an enormous amount of data. You have used your knowledge of computer applications to accomplish this in an efficient and timely manner.”
Kimberly: That is such a pro response. But, I mean, GPS Orbit? That’s huge. Dawn: What even was that before then?
Kimberly: Yeah. And everything that obviously we must use in relation to that or because of that now.
Dawn: Mhm.
Kimberly: I mean, her commendation from her supervisor was great, but let’s be real. It should have been even larger.
Dawn and Kimberly: [laughs]
Kimberly: So we’re actually going to end - or we have our last notable black woman that we’re going to be covering today, with a local lady.
Dawn: A Portland icon.
Kimberly: Mhm.
Dawn: Some call her a “powerhouse.”
Kimberly: Some call her “Crazy Aunt Lindsey.”
Dawn: Crazy Aunt Lindsey of The Fab Lab!
Kimberly: Mhm. So, Lindsey Murphy is the Creator and Host of the popular kids science YouTube series, The Fab Lab with Crazy Aunt Lindsey. In the show, Lindsey turns everyday science concepts into fabulous DIY experiments that engage kids of all ages and their families. It’s Martha Stewart-meets-Bill Nye The Science Guy, but with Lindsey’s special extra flavor.
Dawn: The mission of the Fab Lab is to bring accessibility, inclusivity, and representation to STEM by changing the way kids experience, understand, and relate to science and STEM education.
Kimberly: Quick break, or quick pause, I should say - if you have kids, if you know kids -
Dawn: If you’re a kid at heart -
Kimberly: If you’re a kid at heart, yeah. If you’re - I don’t know? If you have free time - go check this out.
Dawn: If you’re not a kid at heart. If you just like science. If you like experiments, and being fabulous.
Kimberly: Absolutely. Go to YouTube. Google it. Not difficult. But, so, Lindsey is originally from Morristown, New Jersey. She is a carpenter's daughter. I was going to say something but I’m not going to say something. [laughs] But, her first paid job was babysitting. What was your first paying job, Dawn? I don’t think - I know we’ve asked guests this. But, I don’t know what your first paid job was.
Dawn: Do you mean, like, where I filled out a W2 to work there?
Kimberly: No… well, I guess. I mean, what was, in your experience. Whether it was legal or not.
Dawn: My first job was a cashier at a record store where I got to work every Sunday when I was in middle school and it made me popular for, like, half a second.
Kimberly: That’s awesome.
Dawn: Popularity did not last past my job at the music store. I was too young to be working there. I was like 12.
Kimberly: That’s rad, though!
Dawn: It was awesome.
Kimberly: That’s super cool. My parents didn’t want me to work during high school. I actually really wanted to work. Anyways, after high school, my first job was at Forever 21. I actually opened the Walnut Creek, California location. So if you shop there, I definitely you know, whatever, contributed over there.
Dawn: It probably is closing? [laughs]
Kimberly: I know… oh yeah! That’s true. They filed for -
Dawn: Their legacy is coming to an end.
Kimberly: That’s definitely not on my LinkedIn. Ok, so, she relocated to Portland in October 2013, after experiencing a bit of career burnout on the East coast.
Dawn: Hm, I can relate.
Kimberly: Oh.
Dawn: Well. [laughs] She hopped on a 6am flight with a backpack, a carryon, and $180 to her name. An old high school friend, who she had only spoken to one or two times since, offered up their couch for three days. When Lindsey landed, she knew she was home.
Kimberly: Ok, so, I think it was something like, she had only spoken to this person like two times in the past like decade prior to that time, since high school, and they offered her their couch. I think that’s lovely.
Dawn: Me too. Well, she seems like a lovely person. So, she can stay on my couch if she needs (to).
Kimberly: I don’t think she needs to. [laughs]
Dawn: I doubt it, but, you know, maybe they’re fumigating. Maybe her friends are out of town.
Kimberly: But if I need to, you would offer me your couch, right?
Dawn: Of course. Yeah. I’ll stay on the couch, you can have the bed.
Kimberly: Actually, I did that for my brother. I gave him the bed.
Dawn: It’s a good host thing to do.
Kimberly: But I think it was like, you just stay in the room and I’ll be in the communal areas. So, here in Portland, Lindsey’s old dreams came alive, and her creativity and entrepreneurial drive led her to successful partnerships with TEDx Portland, TravelOregon, NASA -
Dawn: NASA, again.
Kimberly: - NASA again, yes, and a BlueStar Donuts sponsorship.
Dawn: Get me an old fashioned.
Kimberly: Like, how do I get one of those?
Dawn: PDXWIT Podcast… BlueStar Donuts? Maybe!
Kimberly: Sponsor us.
Dawn: Sponsor our bellies.
Kimberly: Oh, that would be nice. Just like, have BlueStar Donuts for every episode. That’s what we mean by sponsorship.
Dawn: Any donut shop in Portland, really. We’re not looking to say no.
Kimberly: Yeah, we don’t actually need like, you know, recording equipment, or studio space, or anything like that.
Dawn: Cronuts?
Dawn and Kimberly: We just need donuts. [laughing]
Kimberly: So, Lindsey is also an entirely self-taught science communicator, and a regular guest at conferences around the globe. From places like Harvard University - another shoutout to Harvard - Google, Creative Morning, Girl Scouts, GirlFest, and locally, the NBC/KGW News 8.
Dawn: Her professional background spans 15 years, and includes Marketing and Business Development for companies like MTV, XBOX, and Nike.
Kimberly: Geez.
Dawn: I know. She specializes in creative development and creating digital content that comes from the heart.
Kimberly: Lindsey’s personal goals are to leave this world better than she found it, do all she can to empower the education, autonomy, and joy of all people, and make sure kids know that science is fabulous. That’s amazing.
Dawn: I’m all about bringing kids in.
Kimberly: Yes, yes. But I also love the - is it the Boy Scout? No! Campfire rule. The whole - you know the campfire rule? Where you leave someone or something in a better place than you found it.
Dawn: Oh. I thought you were going to leave them by the campfire and like peace out.
Kimberly: No, definitely no.
Dawn: Find your way home in the morning. Someone did that to you apparently!
Dawn and Kimberly: [laughing]
Kimberly: But no, no, I love that that’s part of her personal goals. I guess because I really love that rule.
Dawn: Hm.
Kimberly: Yeah. My old manager said that about me, that that’s what I do. And that really touched my heart.
Dawn: I bet you do!
Kimberly: Sorry, I’m giving myself props. I just love that. I think Lindsey is a little bit different from anyone else because her work is for the youth. You know? And like especially focusing on getting minorities and girls into this space. Because at the end of the day, you can only do so much about it in the present, but it’s really about getting our generations into it.
Dawn: It’s all about the future.
Kimberly: Mhm.Dawn: Check out the past with us, check out the future with Lindsey.
Kimberly: I like that.
Dawn and Kimberly: [laughing]
Max: [inaudible]
Kimberly: Oh, that’s right! Yes, we do.
Dawn: Oh, yeah. Thanks, Max. I keep asking him where his mic is.
Kimberly: He refuses to mic up. Maybe you could hear that but [laugh] But - it’s true - yes! During Season 1, there is an episode with LIndsey, so if you’d like to hear more about her, check that out.
Dawn: Yeah, Britt and Juliana did a great interview with her, so remember them. Keep them in your hearts.
Kimberly: Yes. Everyone in your hearts please. So, thank you, everybody, for listening in on this episode. I know it’s a bit different.
Dawn: It was weird and wonderful.
Kimberly: [laughs] You’re weird and wonderful.
Dawn: Aw, thank you.
Dawn and Kimberly: [laughing]
Kimberly: But, you know, we really enjoyed putting this together and being able to highlight some black women that are a part of tech history, making tech history, now until today. And, we hope that you enjoyed, kind of our, our way of doing that.
Dawn: I hope so too.
Kimberly: Mhm, so -
Dawn: It was great.
Kimberly: Yes, it was great! I like this. I hope we can do it again.
Dawn: Maybe we’ll do this again.
Kimberly: We’d like to hear your thoughts on that, maybe turn this into a side-series. Max is giving us -
Dawn and Kimberly: - a thumbs up.
Dawn: Ooh we got a thumbs up and a nod.
Kimberly: Thank you. Thank you, Max. [laughs]
Dawn: Hit us up. podcast@pdxwit.org. We wanna hear who you think should be highlighted. Maybe we can get to them. If you like to tweet, you can tweet at us.
Kimberly: That’s true. But yeah, thanks everyone for listening in. Catch you next time.
Dawn: Next time.
Megan Bigelow: PDXWIT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with the purpose of encouraging women, nonbinary, and underrepresented people to join tech, and supporting and empowering them to stay in tech. Find out more about us at www.pdxwit.org.