Facebook Diversity Director Discusses Movement To Diversify Tech At SXSW
By Melony Roy
AUSTIN, Texas (CBS) --- Facebook's new global director of diversity is at the South By Southwest interactive conference, discussing the movement to diversify tech.
Maxine Williams says diversity has become a top priority at Facebook.
"We are firmly committed to increasing the number of woman, people of color, and all other underrepresented groups too. I'm looking for people with different abilities, people with veteran status, people who are in age different categories, and sexual orientations," she says.
In 2014, major technology companies including Facebook released data showing they vastly underemployed African-Americans, Hispanics and women.
"One piece of advice I'd give women and people of color is learn to code," she says. "Literally understanding the heart beat of technology -- A: if you do it well that could get you jobs, and B: even if you get an interest in technology through it, that could may lead you into considering opportunities at companies like ours."
Facebook supports programs like YesWeCode that are trying to grow the number of minorities in the tech world – where estimates are that 1.4 million programming jobs will be needed over the next decade.
