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Precisely my philosophy. By interacting with people with different opinions can we learn things that we need to improve or maintain. & it helps shatter this horrible manichean perspective that one side is good & the other is evil, which people in politics tend to use too much.
I prefer people who have different political opinions to me, but who are kind and decent, than people with the same political opinions as me but who are vindictive and bullying.
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) January 11, 2021
Thread of some posts about diversity & inclusion I've written over the years. I still stand behind these.
(I'm resharing bc a few folks are suggesting Jeremy's CoC experience ➡️ partially our fault for promoting diversity, we should change our values, etc. Nope!)
1/
Math & CS have been my focus since high school/the late 90s, yet the sexism & toxicity of the tech industry drove me to quit. I’m not alone. 40% of women working in tech leave. (2015)
https://t.co/NGNSxnnAdt 2/
Superficial, showy efforts at diversity-washing are more harmful than doing nothing at all. Research studies confirm this (2015)
https://t.co/1t6T4LKqiA 3/
The primary reason women leave the tech industry is because they are treated unfairly, underpaid, less likely to be fast-tracked, and not given a fair chance to advance. (2016)
https://t.co/NkVc5Yseo9 4/
Diversity Crisis in AI, 2016 (written the week we publicly launched fast ai, this has been a core value from the start): https://t.co/hejGQTHGwU
Diversity Crisis in AI, 2017 edition: https://t.co/Owwt8C14yh 5/
(I'm resharing bc a few folks are suggesting Jeremy's CoC experience ➡️ partially our fault for promoting diversity, we should change our values, etc. Nope!)
1/
Math & CS have been my focus since high school/the late 90s, yet the sexism & toxicity of the tech industry drove me to quit. I’m not alone. 40% of women working in tech leave. (2015)
https://t.co/NGNSxnnAdt 2/
Superficial, showy efforts at diversity-washing are more harmful than doing nothing at all. Research studies confirm this (2015)
https://t.co/1t6T4LKqiA 3/
The primary reason women leave the tech industry is because they are treated unfairly, underpaid, less likely to be fast-tracked, and not given a fair chance to advance. (2016)
https://t.co/NkVc5Yseo9 4/
Diversity Crisis in AI, 2016 (written the week we publicly launched fast ai, this has been a core value from the start): https://t.co/hejGQTHGwU
Diversity Crisis in AI, 2017 edition: https://t.co/Owwt8C14yh 5/
I can't but help coming back to this thread. I owe Uncle Gbenro a bottle of cognac for it.
Let me build on it a little...
Prior to when Carlos Zappa renamed Ahaba to "Asaba", ndị Oshimịrị were quite an intertwined people who knew their kin.
As such, you could not "kpa alo" in Ahaba without a priest from Nri present.
This kinship is seen in the names. Onicha Mịrị, Onicha Ụgbo, Onicha Olona, as examples, the first being the great market town, the last two being on the west side of the great river, Ori mịrị...
Then Carlos Zappa came, and renamed Ahaba to Asaba, while TE Dennis renamed Onicha to Onitsha.
A hypothetical child, let's call him Chukwudebe Isichei, born exactly 120 years ago today in Asaba, knew himself as being Onye Oshimili, as did his cousin across the great river.
The year Isichei was born, a strange company, the Royal Niger Company, without his elders' consent or even knowledge, passed over "ownership" of his village to the British Crown, and the cartographers went to work.
Isichei became a "Southern Nigerian" from Onitsha Division.
Then on Isichei's 14th birthday, his Southern #Nigeria was "amalgamated" with a strange land called Northern Nigeria, and he was told that himself and those people whom he had not much in common with, except perhaps the colour of their skin, were now from the same country.
Let me build on it a little...
Prior to when Carlos Zappa renamed Ahaba to "Asaba", ndị Oshimịrị were quite an intertwined people who knew their kin.
A short note on ethnicity.
— Gb\xe9nr\xf3 Ad\xe9gbol\xe1 \u0646 (@GbenroAdegbola) December 27, 2020
A lot of these labels are mere identity. Useful labels though.
Identity is important
Many don\u2019t know their own parents were not even born Nigerians.
Most were a strange, now defunct nationality called British West African.
As such, you could not "kpa alo" in Ahaba without a priest from Nri present.
This kinship is seen in the names. Onicha Mịrị, Onicha Ụgbo, Onicha Olona, as examples, the first being the great market town, the last two being on the west side of the great river, Ori mịrị...
Then Carlos Zappa came, and renamed Ahaba to Asaba, while TE Dennis renamed Onicha to Onitsha.
A hypothetical child, let's call him Chukwudebe Isichei, born exactly 120 years ago today in Asaba, knew himself as being Onye Oshimili, as did his cousin across the great river.
The year Isichei was born, a strange company, the Royal Niger Company, without his elders' consent or even knowledge, passed over "ownership" of his village to the British Crown, and the cartographers went to work.
Isichei became a "Southern Nigerian" from Onitsha Division.
Then on Isichei's 14th birthday, his Southern #Nigeria was "amalgamated" with a strange land called Northern Nigeria, and he was told that himself and those people whom he had not much in common with, except perhaps the colour of their skin, were now from the same country.
THREAD: Here’s a round-up of corporations pulling out of donations/events because of last week and what that means.
While these companies are only temporarily halting contributions & still giving to Super PACs etc., it is very significant to see them take public action NOW.
More than anyone, corporations track public sentiment. Most also don’t like being tangled in politics.
Taking clear action against Republicans in the Senate who would not certify the election and very clear distancing themselves from President Trump shows they believe this is where America’s head is at TODAY (the shift since Election Day).
PGA official announcement terminating the agreement to play 2022 PGA at Trump Bedminster
Goldman Sachs: Pausing all PAC donations to Republicans and Democrats. Still formulating plans for giving to elected officials who fought to overturn 2020
While these companies are only temporarily halting contributions & still giving to Super PACs etc., it is very significant to see them take public action NOW.
More than anyone, corporations track public sentiment. Most also don’t like being tangled in politics.
Taking clear action against Republicans in the Senate who would not certify the election and very clear distancing themselves from President Trump shows they believe this is where America’s head is at TODAY (the shift since Election Day).
PGA official announcement terminating the agreement to play 2022 PGA at Trump Bedminster
"The PGA of America Board of Directors voted tonight to exercise the right to terminate the agreement to play the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster." \u2014 Jim Richerson, PGA of America President
— PGA of America (@PGA) January 11, 2021
Goldman Sachs: Pausing all PAC donations to Republicans and Democrats. Still formulating plans for giving to elected officials who fought to overturn 2020
1/n
Over the weekend, I experienced a truly amazing thing—a functioning society. I left dystopian Massachusetts for Utah, and in Utah I found a packed airport and the closest thing to normal I have experienced in 10 months.
2/n
I went to busy restaurants every night, and two of the three nights got to listen to live music, including—gasp—live singing and a band! After skiing, we sat around a firepit drinking, and met new people.
3/n
I met a friend whom I haven’t seen in a year and gave her a hug, without either of us giving a second thought. I met family and extended family; all greeted us with a warm embrace, a wide smile, and quickly ushered us inside.
4/n
I walked down main street in Park City and was able to luxuriate in being outside without being forced to wear a mask—though indoors it is required. Park City is Utah’s wealthiest and most liberal area, so there was a fair amount of outdoor masking, 80-85%.
5/n
While in Park City, people signaled either their membership in that liberal, affluent group, or their desire to be part of it, elsewhere was far different. Utahns report roughly equal masking to Massachusetts, 92.3% to Massachusetts’ 97.8% however..
https://t.co/4IJZX0hM8E
Over the weekend, I experienced a truly amazing thing—a functioning society. I left dystopian Massachusetts for Utah, and in Utah I found a packed airport and the closest thing to normal I have experienced in 10 months.
2/n
I went to busy restaurants every night, and two of the three nights got to listen to live music, including—gasp—live singing and a band! After skiing, we sat around a firepit drinking, and met new people.
3/n
I met a friend whom I haven’t seen in a year and gave her a hug, without either of us giving a second thought. I met family and extended family; all greeted us with a warm embrace, a wide smile, and quickly ushered us inside.
4/n
I walked down main street in Park City and was able to luxuriate in being outside without being forced to wear a mask—though indoors it is required. Park City is Utah’s wealthiest and most liberal area, so there was a fair amount of outdoor masking, 80-85%.
5/n
While in Park City, people signaled either their membership in that liberal, affluent group, or their desire to be part of it, elsewhere was far different. Utahns report roughly equal masking to Massachusetts, 92.3% to Massachusetts’ 97.8% however..
https://t.co/4IJZX0hM8E