Due to a series of recent events, our team's trust in @girldevelopit leadership has been broken. The Philly team has decided to put local chapter operations on hiatus for the foreseeable future.
These events are as follows (thread):
These events are as follows (thread):
Former GDI Program Director @shanisebarona spoke to @KimCrayton1 on the podcast #causeascene about discrimination and microaggressions that she experienced from members of the HQ team.
The podcast references a case of discrimination that occurred in Minneapolis, in which a black chapter leader was mistreated and discriminated against by her white co-chapter leaders. Thread of @GDImpls chapter leadership call-out by @LaniceSims:
Additional callout of racism within @GDImpls leadership:
Chapter leaders, organizers, teachers, TAs, and members (including the Philly team) have signed an an open letter to the @girldevelopit Board of Directors calling for urgent, sustainable changes to be made an-open-letter-to-gdi-board.com - we welcome you to read and sign your name.
For months, the HQ team & Board of Directors have failed to address the underlying cause - racist & white supremacist attitudes among GDI leaders who should not be running an organization that calls itself inclusive.
Apologies are not enough. We must see specific, top-level changes within GDI - including the replacement of problematic leaders, public apologies to the community, sustainable policies and efforts towards DEI, and complete transparency going forward.
We hope that our local classes and events have been positive experiences which have empowered you to learn about and pursue opportunities in tech. We still firmly believe in the mission of inclusion, and we are so grateful to you, our community, for supporting us.
Please do not let this stop your pursuit of learning. Everybody has a place at the table. Everybody is welcome. Everybody should have the opportunity.
We will continue to update the community as this situation progresses. In the meantime, you can find more information and ways to contact us in our letter to the Philly community: docs.google.com/document/d/1dO…
