Jesse Jackson Visiting Oakland Tech To Announce $15,000 In College Scholarships
OAKLAND (CBS SF) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson is scheduled to visit a high school in Oakland to continue his push for greater diversity in technology.
The civil rights leader plans to eat lunch with students at Oakland Technical High School on Wednesday and announce $15,000 in college scholarships, according to a press release by Oakland Unified School District.
Jackson wants to send more Oakland graduates, including women and minorities, to well-paying jobs in Silicon Valley.
Last year a push by Jackson prompted several dozen tech firms to release workforce diversity data which showed under-representation of African Americans, Latinos and women in the field.
In response, businesses, universities and community leaders have launched initiatives aimed at diversifying their ranks, both ethnically and by gender.
Facebook offers "Facebook University," an internship for low income minority college freshmen interested in computer science. Intel has committed $300 million over the next five years toward diversifying its workforce, while Apple has a $50 million partnership with nonprofits to support women and minority computer science majors.
"There is not a talent deficit, there is a an opportunity deficit. Rainbow PUSH seeks to match talent and opportunity, investors and innovator," says Jackson.
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