Black Tech Night Features Networking Opportunities, Panel at Inside
By Lorcan Stokes
On Thursday, February 24, Inside hosted "Black Tech Night," the first of multiple events focused on networking within Seattle's Black tech community. In addition to a night of food, drinks, live music, and connections, Mayor Bruce Harrell spoke at the event. A three-person panel consisting of Zillow programs manager - Early & Emerging Talent Recruiting Makeda Hope-Crichlow, Google Cloud senior staff engineer Abuna Demoz, and F5 senior manager Carl Mosby III talked to the mayor about a broad range of topics. Themes included art, gentrification in Seattle's Central District neighborhood, capitalism, and why tech companies and businesses benefit from hiring Black employees.
Inside was founded by Sierra-Leone Jones with the help of Seattle Restored, an organization focused on providing local artists and business owners with storefronts. The space, which hosts events, workshops, and products from Black creators, focuses on self-care and community.
"This space is all about bringing black and brown folks together to build community, explore art, and explore ourselves and how to care for ourselves," Jones said.
Jones said she hopes that Black Tech Night can become a monthly hub for Black professionals in the industry and beyond looking to connect and share experiences.
Part of the donations from the event went to Brothers United In Leadership Development (BUILD206), a grassroots organization focused on building "positive changes in our community by instilling pride, hope, and perseverance in Black men." They host numerous workshops and community events to provide young people with black leaders and mentors.
André Franklin, BUILD206's cofounder, explained the importance of the organization.
"We focus on issues that impact Black men and boys, but we understand there is intersectionality with that," Franklin said. "If Black men aren't doing well, our women aren't doing well. Other groups aren't doing well."
Bruce Harrell voiced his support for spaces like Inside, and claimed that creating supportive and affordable spaces for artists and other community members is vital.
"What we need to do is activate and make spaces affordable for artists," Harrell said. "We need to figure out how to make sure this city is livable for them; we have to support them."
Harrell, who is a native of Seattle's Central District, discussed issues of both financial and cultural gentrification and the importance of supporting and raising awareness for local black-owned businesses in the area. Additionally, he described supporting organizations such as Africatown that focus on preserving Black ownership and housing affordability in neighborhoods like the Central District or the Royal Esquire Club, a private men's club where Harrell serves as board chairman.
"My advice would be to look at these organizations doing this kind of work," Harrell said. "They need good board members and your tools. Some of you are good at social media and strategic planning."
Photos by Seattle photographer Jordan Somers on behalf of Converge Media.
