Hashtags and retweets are the only forms of power that can be attributed to “Black Twitter.” Although studies have shown that Blacks have a powerful voice as a collective on Twitter, minorities are still left behind when it comes to true power within the company.
According to TechCrunch, Twitter hired Jeffrey Siminoff to serve as VP of diversity in an effort to replace Janet Van Huys. Although Siminoff, who is gay, did serve as director of worldwide inclusion and diversity while at Apple, his hiring fails to solve Twitter’s diversity issue. In fact, it continues a “good old boy network” that has become too familiar in the tech world that is made up mostly of White men.
Only 3 percent of Twitter’s employees are Black or Latino. When it comes to management, only 1 percent of the company’s manager are Black or Latino. By hiring Siminoff to head diversity, it shows that Twitter is not serious about changing its culture.
There are an abundance of minority and female candidates who could have filled the position while also placing the company in the right direction. But Twitter has yet to commit to true diversity.
Twitter once claimed that it would seek to do more outreach by visiting HBCUs. However, their recruitment team has yet to visit an HBCU.
Twitter will probably continue to serve as an important tool for Blacks to raise awareness when it comes to race and injustice. However, the millions of Blacks who support Twitter should know that the company continues to do little to support inclusion in the workplace.
