Rewind to 2016. Tech is coming off a two-year financing high marked by record-breaking private funding rounds, an explosion of unicorn start-ups, and an unprecedented wave of megadeals. Perched on top is Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, whose personal fortune will grow this year by $11.2 billion, more than any other billionaire’s.
Meanwhile, a type of social justice politics that will eventually be derided as “wokeness” is ascendant. We’re sandwiched between #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo, and Hillary Clinton’s campaign is criticizing Bernie Sanders as myopically fixated on economic inequality while neglecting race and gender concerns. As Sanders raises the alarm about billionaires’ ballooning wealth and political influence, Clinton is cultivating close relationships with Silicon Valley elites, who are succeeding on the identity politics front where Sanders is reportedly failing.
This year, 2016, Apple is throwing money into historically black colleges and universities, while Uber is donating directly to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Google has announced $3.5 million in diversity-focused grants at a screening of a documentary about the murder of an unarmed black man at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco’s historic gay district.
Not wanting to be outdone, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announce the founding of the Primary School, a tuition-free private school dedicated to serving low-income students of color. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the school has “deep roots in diversity, equity and inclusion, vowing to teach about diverse cultures and anti-racism while helping students do social justice work and providing opportunities for families to discuss racism.” As the year draws to a close, Donald…
Auteur: Meagan Day
