The next generation of brilliant Black engineers are here, and they want to change the world by creating and innovating at inclusive companies.
There is a deep legacy of genius found throughout the history of Black people in America. Yet for so many young Black people, it can feel like our rich heritage of brilliance is drowned out by voices and media that dishonor our culture. For every Katherine Johnson who gets a well-deserved spotlight in a story like Hidden Figures, there are scores of pioneers like Skip Ellis whose contributions are whitewashed over.
I joined Howard University, one of the most historic and necessary Black institutions in the country, as a professor of computer science because I wanted to expose young Black engineering students to the same traditions of innovation and groundbreaking science that I was lucky enough to grow up seeing in my own home.
