\u201cWe are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there \u2019is\u2019 such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.\u201d – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n

On August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech. Dr. King made a call for racial and social justice using the phrase \u201cthe fierce urgency of now.\u201d He used this phrase to describe the imperative to address racial inequality throughout our institutions and society. It was also a call to action to believe in our ability to affect the world and commit to taking action together to forge a more just society. <\/p>\n

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri and having experienced racism at an early age, this speech lit a fire within me. While there are many powerful parts of this speech, \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d was what inspired my deep sense of social consciousness and sensitivity to human pain and injustice. From then on, Dr. King was my hero.<\/p>\n

Today, I reside in San Diego, California. Many see California as more of a melting pot, however, even though it is the country\u2019s technology hub, the state\u2019s diversity isn\u2019t adequately reflected within the industry. Nationally, Black people make up 12 percent of the overall US workforce, but only represent 8 percent of tech industry employees. The way this plays out is that I\u2019m often the only Black person in the room. For many like me, this is our normal. <\/p>\n

When I joined Zscaler in June 2020, I quickly realized the opportunity to increase diversity in our company and industry. At the time, I searched the organization for a safe space to network with like-minded individuals. It was then that I found inspiration in Dr. King’s phrase, and during my onboarding I reached out to our CEO to inquire about an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for Black employees. Our executives leaned in to support this request, and provided a foundation and sponsorship to help Black employees launch Black@Z. Several years later, we stand strong in our Black@Z mission to celebrate our Black employees, and provide them with resources and a support network to enhance their experience and their career at Zscaler. <\/p>\n

As I reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s legacy, there are two questions that I feel are important to ask:<\/p>\n

First, if Dr. King was alive today, what would he think of our industry and what would be \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d?<\/p>\n

On one side, I believe Dr. King would celebrate the advancements and contributions of the Black community in tech\u2014from Roy Clay Sr., referred to as the \u201cGodfather of Silicon Valley,\u201d to Lisa Gelobter who pioneered internet technologies, including her invention of Shockwave. On the other side, I imagine he would decry the lack of diversity and inclusion within the industry. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that he would view the lack of representation as a continuation of the systemic inequalities that he fought against during the civil rights movement. He might recognize the threat of some emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, which can unfortunately replicate some of the biases and inequities that exist today, but I hope he would also see the positive opportunities for the tech industry to bring people together and improve the human condition, for all.<\/p>\n

Dr. King\u2019s philosophy that all should have access to equity and justice raises the second question I would ask: What can we as leaders in tech do to advance equity and inclusion globally?<\/p>\n

I believe diversity in the workplace helps companies be more innovative and creative and, ultimately, achieve better results\u2013and there\u2019s ample data to support this. When it comes to representation, we have to be intentional about our recruiting and hiring process to ensure we\u2019re working to make our organizations more diverse. We should also be championing inclusion in all of our decisions and interactions. I\u2019m proud to share that Zscaler has a focused strategy to attract diverse candidates and foster a more inclusive workplace.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m grateful to be part of Black@Z and have support from my Zscaler family, and I\u2019m excited that Black@Z will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a day of service on Monday, January 15 in multiple cities throughout the US. In honor of Dr. King\u2019s legacy and birthday, we are inviting all Zscaler employees and their families to participate. <\/p>\n

Dr. King\u2019s words continue to inspire me, and I humbly ask my Zscaler community to embrace \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d to fuel our collective efforts in 2024 and beyond, always raising the bar on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our industry.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u200b<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there \u2019is\u2019 such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.\u201d<\/em> – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n

On August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech. Dr. King made a call for racial and social justice using the phrase \u201cthe fierce urgency of now.\u201d <\/em>He used this phrase to describe the imperative to address racial inequality throughout our institutions and society. It was also a call to action to believe in our ability to affect the world and commit to taking action together to forge a more just society.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri and having experienced racism at an early age, this speech lit a fire within me. While there are many powerful parts of this speech, \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d was what inspired my deep sense of social consciousness and sensitivity to human pain and injustice. From then on, Dr. King was my hero.<\/p>\n

Today, I reside in San Diego, California. Many see California as more of a melting pot, however, even though it is the country\u2019s technology hub, the state\u2019s diversity isn\u2019t adequately reflected within the industry. Nationally, Black people make up 12 percent of the overall US workforce, but only represent 8 percent of tech industry employees. The way this plays out is that I\u2019m often the only Black person in the room. For many like me, this is our normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When I joined Zscaler in June 2020, I quickly realized the opportunity to increase diversity in our company and industry. At the time, I searched the organization for a safe space to network with like-minded individuals. It was then that I found inspiration in Dr. King’s phrase, and during my onboarding I reached out to our CEO to inquire about an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for Black employees. Our executives leaned in to support this request, and provided a foundation and sponsorship to help Black employees launch Black@Z. Several years later, we stand strong in our Black@Z mission to celebrate our Black employees, and provide them with resources and a support network to enhance their experience and their career at Zscaler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As I reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s legacy, there are two questions that I feel are important to ask:<\/p>\n

First, if Dr. King was alive today, what would he think of our industry and what would be \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d?<\/p>\n

On one side, I believe Dr. King would celebrate the advancements and contributions of the Black community in tech\u2014from Roy Clay Sr<\/a>., referred to as the \u201cGodfather of Silicon Valley,\u201d to Lisa Gelobter<\/a> who pioneered internet technologies, including her invention of Shockwave. On the other side, I imagine he would decry the lack of diversity and inclusion within the industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that he would view the lack of representation as a continuation of the systemic inequalities that he fought against during the civil rights movement. He might recognize the threat of some emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, which can unfortunately replicate some of the biases and inequities that exist today, but I hope he would also see the positive opportunities for the tech industry to bring people together and improve the human condition, for all.<\/p>\n

Dr. King\u2019s philosophy that all should have access to equity and justice raises the second question I would ask: What can we as leaders in tech do to advance equity and inclusion globally?<\/p>\n

I believe diversity in the workplace helps companies be more innovative and creative and, ultimately, achieve better results\u2013and there\u2019s ample data to support this. When it comes to representation, we have to be intentional about our recruiting and hiring process to ensure we\u2019re working to make our organizations more diverse. We should also be championing inclusion in all of our decisions and interactions. I\u2019m proud to share that Zscaler has a focused strategy to attract diverse candidates and foster a more inclusive workplace.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m grateful to be part of Black@Z and have support from my Zscaler family, and I\u2019m excited that Black@Z will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a day of service on Monday, January 15 in multiple cities throughout the US. In honor of Dr. King\u2019s legacy and birthday, we are inviting all Zscaler employees and their families to participate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr. King\u2019s words continue to inspire me, and I humbly ask my Zscaler community to embrace \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d to fuel our collective efforts in 2024 and beyond, always raising the bar on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our industry.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there \u2019is\u2019 such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.\u201d – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n

On August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech. Dr. King made a call for racial and social justice using the phrase \u201cthe fierce urgency of now.\u201d He used this phrase to describe the imperative to address racial inequality throughout our institutions and society. It was also a call to action to believe in our ability to affect the world and commit to taking action together to forge a more just society. <\/p>\n

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri and having experienced racism at an early age, this speech lit a fire within me. While there are many powerful parts of this speech, \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d was what inspired my deep sense of social consciousness and sensitivity to human pain and injustice. From then on, Dr. King was my hero.<\/p>\n

Today, I reside in San Diego, California. Many see California as more of a melting pot, however, even though it is the country\u2019s technology hub, the state\u2019s diversity isn\u2019t adequately reflected within the industry. Nationally, Black people make up 12 percent of the overall US workforce, but only represent 8 percent of tech industry employees. The way this plays out is that I\u2019m often the only Black person in the room. For many like me, this is our normal. <\/p>\n

When I joined Zscaler in June 2020, I quickly realized the opportunity to increase diversity in our company and industry. At the time, I searched the organization for a safe space to network with like-minded individuals. It was then that I found inspiration in Dr. King’s phrase, and during my onboarding I reached out to our CEO to inquire about an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for Black employees. Our executives leaned in to support this request, and provided a foundation and sponsorship to help Black employees launch Black@Z. Several years later, we stand strong in our Black@Z mission to celebrate our Black employees, and provide them with resources and a support network to enhance their experience and their career at Zscaler. <\/p>\n

As I reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s legacy, there are two questions that I feel are important to ask:<\/p>\n

First, if Dr. King was alive today, what would he think of our industry and what would be \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d?<\/p>\n

On one side, I believe Dr. King would celebrate the advancements and contributions of the Black community in tech\u2014from Roy Clay Sr., referred to as the \u201cGodfather of Silicon Valley,\u201d to Lisa Gelobter who pioneered internet technologies, including her invention of Shockwave. On the other side, I imagine he would decry the lack of diversity and inclusion within the industry. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that he would view the lack of representation as a continuation of the systemic inequalities that he fought against during the civil rights movement. He might recognize the threat of some emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, which can unfortunately replicate some of the biases and inequities that exist today, but I hope he would also see the positive opportunities for the tech industry to bring people together and improve the human condition, for all.<\/p>\n

Dr. King\u2019s philosophy that all should have access to equity and justice raises the second question I would ask: What can we as leaders in tech do to advance equity and inclusion globally?<\/p>\n

I believe diversity in the workplace helps companies be more innovative and creative and, ultimately, achieve better results\u2013and there\u2019s ample data to support this. When it comes to representation, we have to be intentional about our recruiting and hiring process to ensure we\u2019re working to make our organizations more diverse. We should also be championing inclusion in all of our decisions and interactions. I\u2019m proud to share that Zscaler has a focused strategy to attract diverse candidates and foster a more inclusive workplace.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m grateful to be part of Black@Z and have support from my Zscaler family, and I\u2019m excited that Black@Z will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a day of service on Monday, January 15 in multiple cities throughout the US. In honor of Dr. King\u2019s legacy and birthday, we are inviting all Zscaler employees and their families to participate. <\/p>\n

Dr. King\u2019s words continue to inspire me, and I humbly ask my Zscaler community to embrace \u201cthe fierce urgency of now\u201d to fuel our collective efforts in 2024 and beyond, always raising the bar on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our industry.\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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