Racism in IT: Non illegitimati carborumdum

Last week I received an e-mail from a reader who identified himself as a black man who's worked in IT for nearly three decades. He was responding to a column I'd written in which I commented that the black IT-worker voice on the subject of racism is almost inaudible, and he didn't disagree. He said the reason is that "even hinting that racism may be a factor in your current situation can be a career death sentence."

Here's the full text of his e-mail:

"I read your article and agree that a discussion is necessary  concerning the issue of labeling and racism within the IT community, but that discussion will never happen. I am a black man and I've worked in IT for 29 years. The reason that the voice is inaudible is that most of us know that even hinting that racism may be a factor in your current situation can be a career death sentence.

"The bottom line is that most of the time you tough it out and when you  reach your tipping point, you move on. You can succeed, but not in a hostile, toxic environment. Knowing when you're in one is the trick.

"I've had this in my drafts folder for a week, wondering if it was even worth it to send. I decided it was, even though I know that it won't change anything. As you see, there are some very staunch and vocal  opposing views on the subject and it's not for a lack of awareness or  knowledge."

The next day I received an e-mail from Stonewall J. McMurray III ("yeah, the J does stand for Jackson," he says), a 70-year-old African-American who's now retired after a distinguished career that included service as a naval officer and as an IT professional. Unlike the reader who wrote the previous day, McMurray showed no inclination to throw in the towel on the issue. Here's an excerpt from his e-mail:

"While I was pleasantly surprised at the recent election results and rejoice that my daughter will be marching in the Inaugural Parade on such an occasion, I'm under no illusion that racism in the U.S. is dead. ... Therefore, for those such as yourself who are positioned to continue to battle racism in the IT business through the media, it remains important that you continue to raise the issue. ... And remember: ‘Non illegitimati carborumdum!' (bad magnus pater Latin for ‘Don't let the bastards grind you down')."

For anyone whose response to that is that it's easy for McMurray to champion courage and outspokenness because he's retired and no longer has a career to protect, consider this excerpt from the same e-mail:

"After the Navy, as a young engineer in Boston, I helped organize one of the major civil rights demonstrations there with Dr. King as speaker, and served as a marshal during the march from Harvard Square to the Boston Common -- tens of thousands of us at the request of Robert F. Kennedy to pressure the recalcitrant New England members of both houses of Congress in support of important legislation, just months after his brother's death. As we marched, maybe 10 abreast, on Commonwealth Avenue, an idiot with a face twisted in rage tried to drive his car over marchers while the cops made no effort to stop him. Another marshal and I stood to block his way while another man, not part of the organizing but brave beyond words, jumped on the car's hood so as to cover the windshield and blind the driver, who then stopped, saving the lives of the other marshal and myself and maybe 30-40 marchers, whereupon the cops intervened until everybody calmed down."

I'm not saying that demonstrations and marches are the answers to the problems we face, because they're not. But the answer does lie in people of all races having the courage and willingness to openly address the racism issue so we can work together to solve it. Allowing ourselves to be grinded down will get us nowhere.

Recent Items by Don Tennant:

• Blog Post: The racism disconnect, January 4, 2009
• Editor's Note: Race issue still beset by destructive labels, December 22, 2008
• Q&A: Tech pioneer Earl Pace on racism in the IT workplace, December 15, 2008
• Editor's Note: Acceptance and denial of racism, November 17, 2008
• Editor's Note: Hoping for equality in the IT profession, November 10, 2008
• Blog Post: African Americans in IT: Why there's reason for hope, November 10, 2008