Chairman's Message
Karl Cureton
Chairman
National Minority Technology Council
A rose by any other name is still a rose. It is funny how over time we keep renaming the problem but we need to focus on change and results. I remember a decade ago there was a lot of hype about the Digital Divide. Now we have countless initiatives focused on STEM programs. But the core problem remains the same. Masses of disenfranchised minorities are systematically divorced from mainstream America.
On the cusp of one of the most dynamic and transformational times in our country there still remains a class of people who are virtually left behind. There is no silver bullet on this. Today I quoted some wise words. “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”, HEBREWS 13:16. No matter what your faith there is a call to help the poor and those in need. Yes our borders and interest abroad need protecting. Yes it is critical that we keep our industries alive and we bail out corporate America in order to keep world order. But it is clear to me that we need to reach down and pull up our brothers and sisters who are not on the train to digital success.
Let’s not be mistaken. There are numerous individuals, foundations, and non-profits racing after Federal grants to sustain the paradigm. What I’m speaking of is a true and radical systematic changed in how we consider and deliver remedies. We need to look more at how we approach our national security and how an unenlightened populace can cause more harm than good. It is our weakest link that will be our albatross. Our education pedagogies are not in line with how we think and work. This call to action is not focused on enhancing the silos but crashing them down.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields (STEM.) are expected to add 2.7 million new jobs by 2018, yet minorities are vastly underrepresented in those fields. According to the Dept. of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov)-Overview of the 2008-18 Projections, and I quote:
Two of the fastest growing detailed occupations are in the computer specialist occupational group. Network systems and data communications analysts are projected to be the second-fastest-growing occupation in the economy. Demand for these workers will increase as organizations continue to upgrade their information technology capacity and incorporate the newest technologies. The growing reliance on wireless networks will result in a need for more network systems and data communications analysts as well. Computer applications software engineers also are expected to grow rapidly from 2008 to 2018. Expanding Internet technologies have spurred demand for these workers, who can develop Internet, intranet, and Web applications.
So we need to do the math. There are less than 2,000 Division I football scholarships available each year, yet our education system relegates “excellence” to number of touchdowns or amount one can benchpress. Don’t get twisted, my father was a professional football player. That was in the 50’s & 60's. We have evolved and we need to emancipate ourselves out of the bondage of low expectations and into this communications revolution. We need to focus more on Web 2.0 or XML and how access to information has expanded our capacity to inductively reach new heights in human interaction.
Most change that matters begins in the grassroots of coalition building. The National Minority Technology Council has worked to identify and solidify over 9,000 owners of minority technology companies. We are striving to create a relevant platform that captures the need for growth, access, and opportunity. But our true competitive resolve rests in our ability to ignite the interest of our urban youth towards our industry. We believe that the opportunities offered through employment or entrepreneurship in STEM related fields are missed by minority youth mainly because there is a lack of relevance.
With the formation of a Minority Technology Industry, codified by the National Minority Technology Council, we can begin to show how this marketplace is part of our community. We employ and engage minority workers at a greater rate and provide an enriched work environment. This is our strength and this is our time.
Join this dialog and engage your local community. The Council is aggressively working to develop our 40 District locations. This is our grassroots plan of action. Your continued support will help us diversify our market and enrich more lives with well paid jobs and rewarding opportunities for ownership. Be brave, wise and prosper.
Karl
Karl Cureton
Chairman
National Minority Technology Council
We are very thankful for and deeply appreciate the many contributors to this website.
Our members and partners spend countless hours working to build successful companies.
We appreciate time spent sharing ideas and best practices with us and providing your thoughts and
feelings with our members at large.
Karl Cureton, NMTC Chair
Our beginnings: In 1999 Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore announced that he "is working with the private sector to create the nation's first Minority Technology Council.
The Council will coordinate efforts with minority-owned technology business and existing regional technology councils across the state." Press Release.
This was the first government announcement of the Council. Shortly after our Council Founder and Chair, Karl Cureton, was invited to speak as a panel guest for the National
Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) on the Digital Divide.
The Council has worked over the last decade with State, Federal Officials, and Corporate Executives to develop parity for minority suppliers in the IT marketplace. The Council has now formed a historic partnership of Minority companies ready to leverage their qualifications and reach.