Keynote: Who and What We're Leaving Behind by Bianca Escalante

by Bianca Escalante

In her keynote titled "Who and What We're Leaving Behind," Bianca Escalante addresses the important issue of inclusion within technology and the Ruby community. She discusses her personal struggle to deliver her talk, which prompted deep reflection on privilege, equity, and the responsibility of the tech community to engage with those who are often excluded.

Key Points:
- Personal Journey: Escalante shares her experience of finding the right topic for her keynote, leading her to contemplate the divergent paths of individuals, especially relating to privilege and exclusion.
- The Importance of Inclusion: She highlights how the exclusion of marginalized groups from technology and society not only impacts their lives but also stifles innovation and progress in the tech industry.
- Community Engagement: Escalante emphasizes the need for technology communities to actively include voices from the margins and recognizes that many tech initiatives fail to consider these perspectives.
- Empathy and Proximity: Drawing from Bryan Stevenson’s talk on empathy, she stresses the necessity of closing the distance between different community members to foster understanding and inclusivity.
- Reflecting on Ruby Community: The Ruby community’s ethos is rooted in kindness and emotional expression, but Escalante points out that issues of exclusion still persist, highlighting the importance of acknowledging these flaws to promote growth.
- Call to Action: Escalante urges attendees to reach out to underrepresented communities and involve them in problem-solving discussions, stressing that the efforts of groups like Code Tenderloin, Annie Cannons, and others are vital in creating opportunities for those historically excluded.
- Conclusion: She concludes with an optimistic outlook on the future, emphasizing that by prioritizing inclusivity, communities can unlock a wealth of potential and collectively address societal challenges.

Escalante’s talk serves as a stirring reminder of the values of empathy, community, and inclusivity that drive innovation and societal progress, ultimately advocating for a future where no one is left behind in the conversation about technology and development.

00:00:16.250 Hello everyone! I'm so excited to be here. Is the sound okay? Okay, great! This is actually my very first RubyConf.

00:01:00.510 I had an initial topic discussed with the organizers based on a talk I did about six months ago, but the material just didn’t quite feel right. I found myself going back and forth on topics; I would start working on slides and then stop. I wrote ideas down and later decided they were all crap. I even had a nightmare a couple of weeks ago about coming up on this stage and crashing and burning just 15 minutes into the talk, running down those stairs in a panic. It's that overwhelming pressure that can render you almost completely non-functional, and naturally, that led me to watching a lot of TV.

00:02:01.560 At one point, I even convinced myself that the TV I was watching was research. Don’t be surprised if some of those shows pop into the talk later on. I kept asking myself what I wanted to say, but the answers would change almost daily. Then one day, while I was binge-watching Netflix and reorganizing my dresser—you can probably imagine my apartment was spotless during this time—I realized something.

00:02:19.230 Since I was going to be in LA, and I was born in LA, it might be interesting to drive by the hospital where I was born. So, I called my mom, and she gave me the address. I was really procrastinating, you all. What I discovered was that I was actually born less than a mile from here, which I found bananas! Now, I probably don’t have the exact address right, given what I saw on Google Street View; I don’t think the hospital where I was born in 1979 is there anymore. In fact, when I entered the address my mom gave me, I felt a little sad because there didn’t seem to be a hospital anywhere near.

00:03:08.720 So, I can only assume that the hospital is gone, but what affected me even more was when I zoomed out and looked down the street via the street view image. This area was pretty much a homeless encampment, and right in front of this picture, there was a man I could only presume to be homeless, lying on the pavement. I've lived in San Francisco for 16 years, so I've been around homeless people. On top of that, I stood on the board of a really incredible nonprofit called At The Crossroads, which helps homeless youth. You should give them your money! But seeing this man really hit home in a different way. I think it was because despite my having been in the exact same physical spot, we seemed to be leading such wildly different lives.

00:04:05.930 So, naturally, I started thinking about my own privilege and how far I've come. I realized two important things. First of all, I need to quit whining about how hard my life is because, as some of you heard, I’m unemployed and can't figure out what to talk about at a tech conference while wasting my life away watching Netflix. Secondly, I need to talk about the people that we leave behind. After reflecting on the divergent paths of myself and this man, I decided that what I wanted to address today were the people and ideas we leave behind, what the costs are of doing that, and how we can begin to fix this.

00:05:30.230 This is a problem I have seen that I don't think we've solved yet, and it's an equity issue. Addressing inequity, especially in this day and age, is challenging and a revolutionary act. This particular issue of people being left behind or left out of the creation of technology is one we don’t spend enough time on, but it’s imperative that we work to include everyone in society, in the tech industry, and yes, even in the Ruby community.

00:05:50.130 Ultimately, their exclusion negatively impacts all of us. So, maybe before I talk about who and what we’re leaving behind, I can share a little bit more about me. As you heard, up until recently, I worked at GitHub, where I spent three and a half years working on diversity and inclusion, community engagement, both in real life and online communities, and what many in our industry refer to as leveraging open source for good. When I first started working in tech, I felt like a complete outsider because I was non-technical. Despite this, I made every effort to immerse myself in the open source and Ruby communities, wanting to understand as much as possible about the new communities I was part of.

00:06:44.200 To do this, I asked questions—endless questions—and although I felt like an outsider because I couldn't code, I started falling in love with these communities. Because despite their flaws—and yes, there are flaws, and we’ll talk about them soon—open source, as many of you know, and the Ruby community can be very easy to love, particularly for someone who has been told that she cares hard. I remember thinking, 'We can really change the world with this!' Just imagine the complex societal problems we can start solving. Some folks are already doing this, and I'll talk a little more about that later.

00:07:20.640 But right now, I can’t help but wonder if we’re still getting in our own way regarding what open source and Ruby can accomplish. These are powerful tools and communities, and yet I don’t believe we’re flexing as much as we can or should. A big part of that is because many of us still spend the bulk of our time coming up with solutions to minor human inconveniences rather than tackling major societal problems. This indifference to who gets left behind and the uphill battles they face contributes to stagnation.

00:08:36.740 We’ve become a bit desensitized to the exclusion—conscious or not—that we perpetuate. We do this despite knowing that when people are excluded, their ideas are excluded too. And when ideas are excluded, innovation stalls. When innovation stalls, it’s easier to lose sight of the bigger picture and the bigger problems at hand. Without fresh perspectives and ideas, we limit our ability to solve problems that we may not even realize exist. Most of us tend to work on issues that directly impact us rather than those impacting others—particularly people who are different from us. Yes, there are exceptions, but not nearly enough.

00:09:44.560 So, given all that, and the times we live in, why are we still okay with leaving people behind? There are many reasons, but one that I want to highlight is that inclusion work can sometimes feel at odds with our more primitive emotions, like fear of the unknown or the unfamiliar. Those who are different from us often make us uncomfortable. In some cases, the less exposure we have to people who are different, the scarier they seem. We see this tendency to surround ourselves with what's familiar play out across the tech industry. For example, VCs practice pattern matching in choosing employees, tending to hire people who remind them of themselves.

00:10:52.300 If you're part of a team where most of the members share similar backgrounds with you, it’s easy to see how this dynamic perpetuates. Why is this a problem? Well, in addition to stifling creativity, it’s also an issue because sitting with discomfort and overcoming fears fosters growth. Given that we’re all part of this innovation economy, our growth and development should naturally be top priorities for us. To ensure that we’re growing, we must seek to understand and be around those from different backgrounds and experiences.

00:12:05.390 Let me be clear, I’m not talking about the phrase ‘diversity of thought,’ which is a phrase people use to avoid discussing true diversity. If you have dinner with your immediate family, you’ve just experienced diversity of thought! Bryan Stevenson from the Equal Justice Initiative gave an impactful talk earlier this year called 'The Power of Proximity.' In it, he emphasized the need to close distances between ourselves and those who differ from us, allowing empathy to flourish. This empathy enables us to celebrate our differences.

00:13:00.540 When we can do that, we improve ourselves, which in turn allows us to positively impact the world around us. His talk was particularly validating for me as someone who advocates for inclusivity, reminding me of a conclusion I reached early in my career regarding open source and Ruby: open source is only as powerful as it is accessible, widely adopted, and inclusive. I began thinking about some organizations I've had the privilege of working with in recent years. Take Code Tenderloin, for example. Pictured here is the founder, my good friend LC Moore. Code Tenderloin offers a free job readiness program, which also includes a coding curriculum. What I love most about this program isn’t just what they do, but who they do it with.

00:14:22.880 Many students are struggling with housing or homelessness, and quite a few have experienced incarceration at some point—part of what we call the reentry community. They see participating in technology as an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty they experience and improve the quality of life in their communities. Every person I have met through this program has had the enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment to build things that probably wouldn’t even occur to many of us in this room. So, I ask: why aren’t more of them at the table? Why haven’t we involved homeless people in solving homelessness? Why don’t we have people from the reentry community helping us end mass incarceration in the United States?

00:15:14.300 There are many reasons for this situation, but rather than evaluate all of them, let’s concentrate on what we can control. We tell ourselves countless stories about why people have been left behind, and most of those stories focus on those individuals and what they might be doing wrong. Rarely do we reflect on our own role in this issue, particularly the fact that the vast majority of us haven’t actively and thoughtfully sought them out. This leads us to another critical question: even if we did seek them out, have we done enough within our own communities to create an environment where they feel psychologically safe and able to do the best work of their lives?

00:16:24.830 We like to believe that our communities are accessible and inclusive, yet I’m constantly hearing from marginalized individuals about what a hostile environment open source—and yes, even the Ruby community—can be for them. We need to change this. We need to change it because without doing so, we cannot see the true impact of our communities.

00:17:06.390 To unlock our potential, we must become comfortable listening to, amplifying, and ideally centering the perspectives of people who live on the margins. There is so much we can learn from centering those from non-traditional backgrounds. However, if we feel content with the status quo, we may mistakenly believe that everything is just fine for everyone else. This utilitarian perspective leads us to think that if most of us are okay, then everyone’s okay and that things are good enough for all.

00:18:05.540 But what’s missing is a critical understanding of how we can strive for improvement if we don’t at least attempt to listen to those for whom the status quo is inadequate or wasn’t designed to support them. In that vein, let me draw your attention to this quote: how many of you have seen this before? A few of you maybe! I tried to look up who said it, but I couldn't find out. I could be wrong, and I want to acknowledge this, but I suspect the man in front of the place where I was born is probably unfamiliar with open source or Ruby. He has likely never heard of people like Matz, Sara, or Tenderlove.

00:19:04.070 And again, I might be wrong—I would love to be wrong in this situation. However, I mention him because I wonder what he might create, given the chance. What would someone who has lived on the margins of society develop if they were provided with education, tools, and opportunity? As a Diversity and Inclusion advocate, it’s part of my job to think about this often. I consider it because our lived experiences dictate our values, and our values, in turn, shape what we do, who we spend time with, how we prioritize things, and what’s important to us.

00:20:01.410 So I wonder: what would this man or someone like him, who has experienced hardship, choose to focus on if we were to set him up for success? If we truly want to see open source and the Ruby community be revolutionary, we must commit to lowering barriers to entry. What problems could he solve that matter? What would someone fleeing violence in Syria focus on? What would someone who grew up hungry in Guatemala or the Philippines work on? What would a trans kid in rural Mississippi build? I want to know these things. However, before we can realize what historically excluded individuals might create, we need to question whether our communities are ready to receive them.

00:21:35.160 Despite how far we’ve come, I don’t believe that the majority of us are there yet. I feel lucky that, in the last few years, I’ve connected with Rubyists from all over the globe. Maybe it’s my anthropology background, but I’ve been conducting a mini ethnographic study on the Ruby language, its community, and its approach to building healthy and inclusive spaces. Here are a few interesting insights I’ve gathered about Ruby: First, the Ruby community was born from a punk rock ethos. Matz mentioned this earlier; Ruby emerged from frustration with the status quo. It was a reaction to something not working for him.

00:22:43.500 Does anyone know who this is? A few of you might recognize him: this is Joe Strummer, the lead singer of The Clash. As a brown girl growing up in LA, I naturally have a love for The Clash. What hooked me on them was realizing they performed 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' in Spanish. As someone fluent in Spanish, it felt like love at first listen. Joe Strummer was a fascinating character. For context, though he identified as a leftist socialist, his brother was involved with the National Front. Joe once even married a South African woman to help her get British citizenship.

00:23:33.720 Now, getting back to what’s great about Ruby: number two, Ruby values feelings. From the outset, there was a desire to make developers happy. Ruby, more than any other language at that time—and possibly even now—incorporated and encouraged emotions like happiness and humor in code. This created a space for enjoyable self-expression, which is refreshing in an industry often seen as dry or machine-focused. This acceptance of emotions transformed coding into a more liberating experience.

00:24:18.650 Lastly, as we heard today, the Ruby community was known for its friendliness. You’ve likely heard the saying, 'Matz is nice, and so we are nice.' This camaraderie continues to invite more people to our tables. Okay, now remember when I told you to mentally prepare for the shortcomings of our community? Here we go! No one here should be surprised that as I started to dive deep and ask more questions, it became evident that while I discussed some wonderful elements of the community, many people and ideas are still getting left behind.

00:25:55.500 There’s a commitment to valuing kindness, but even that is subject to interpretation. For instance, after watching the cult Japanese reality show, Terrace House, I realized that the Japanese definition of nice may differ from the American perspective. Nice is subjective, and we need more specificity to ensure our communities are truly safe. So despite the Ruby community’s efforts, it wasn’t all kittens riding unicorns down rainbow slides.

00:26:56.380 Many people, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, still felt excluded. In fact, seven years ago, many Rubyists didn’t recognize the issue with tasteless project names like 'Upskirt.' At this moment, you might feel defensive, and that’s okay. I'm openly discussing the flaws within a community you are a part of and likely feel passionate about. You may be thinking that I’m taking 'Upskirt' out of context or that I wasn’t present in the early days, but I assure you, I wasn’t there either. However, the early days influenced the culture and community we’re part of now, and we’re still experiencing the ripple effects of both good and bad.

00:27:57.600 Yet acknowledging this is still a challenge for many because we tend to fear the unknown and avoid discussing negative topics. I’ve noticed that the open source community, as a whole, is often reluctant to engage in such discussions. Many of us are pushing for change, and I don't want to downplay their efforts. However, we genuinely have a long way to go.

00:28:59.570 In May, I delivered a talk at CodeLand, an incredible conference hosted by Saranya Park, titled 'Open Source for Bad.' The essence of the talk stemmed from a dinner conversation where I found myself raving about someone arguing against the phrase 'open source for good.' He presented three main arguments: first, he claimed that 'open source for good' diminishes projects without an obvious social impact, yet which contribute to socially impactful open source projects. To clarify, as a baker, let me use an analogy, though I’m terrible at them! Imagine baking a delicious cake—this requires multiple ingredients, and while some might not taste great on their own, together they create something delightful. Take raw eggs, for instance; they’re essential for the cake batter. Does that mean eggs alone are as appealing as cake?

00:30:47.730 The second argument suggested that open-source is beneficial simply because it's free and open. Are we still making this argument? Junk mail is free, yet no one was excited about the campaign materials in their mailbox! In this example, I contend that 'free' doesn’t equal 'valuable.' Lastly, he implored that the very phrase 'open source for good' implies a notion of 'open source for bad,' which he argued isn’t true. Saranya, listening to my rant, suggested that I turn it into a talk, but I felt it was common sense—everyone knows the complexities behind open source being hostile for some and misused by others.

00:31:45.300 However, Saranya challenged me, positing that many do not realize these complexities and dangers of open source, which stirred within me a small sense of foreboding about its unsullied perception. Given that open source is often viewed as flawlessly good, I questioned what people think when faced with automated account creation scripts designed to harass other users. For instance, a particularly aggressive harasser employed an open-sourced script for automated account creation, allowing them to leave cruel comments across numerous repositories relentlessly.

00:32:58.720 This harasser's use of open source enabled not only relentless bullying but left a maintainer feeling suicidal due to continuous harassment. In another example, an auto blocker allowed users to run scripts automatically blocking those labeled as 'SJWs' (Social Justice Warriors) on platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The intention behind this tool was to silence voices advocating for social equity and justice—disturbingly reflective of an individual’s intent to restrict and exclude those perspectives. Lastly, consider the OAuth app that restricted or allowed access to repos based on individuals’ genetic information! What could possibly go wrong? Unquestionably, there are individuals in our industry who harbor racist or sexist beliefs and might exploit such a feature. My point in the 'Open Source for Bad' talk emphasized that just as open source can foster positivity, it can also breed negativity.

00:34:27.290 We have to address the fact that open source is created by people, and sometimes, those people behave poorly. The reality is not all shadows are dark; the projects I raised can be beneficial in the hands of good people. Automated account creation can streamline workflows. Auto blockers may serve to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, and OAuth apps can evolve to foster safe spaces for marginalized individuals. We must embrace tough conversations and address the alarming realities while aspiring towards improvement; avoiding these discussions undermines our progress towards building better technologies.

00:35:54.140 By recognizing what isn't functioning, we can begin to fix it, enhancing the inclusivity of our communities. We must cultivate environments where everyone—regardless of background—can contribute meaningfully, build together, and address issues we’re yet to tackle. Moreover, pursuing these topics doesn't denote negativity or toxicity; striving for improvement signifies care.

00:37:14.200 If we are inadvertently obstructing the potential of open source by neglecting marginalized voices and failing to address issues within our communities, it is a cause for concern. So, what should we do? It’s time to get to work. One starting point is to analyze who you’re collaborating with. Do the members of your team or community predominantly share similar backgrounds? If so, consider who may be getting left behind. Acknowledge the missing perspectives that could be hindering the quality of output in your projects.

00:39:15.990 To change this narrative, research and actively reach out to people and groups from differing backgrounds; there are plenty out there! Let me share some phenomenal organizations you could engage with. For instance, Annie Cannons works with survivors of human trafficking in teaching them how to code. In Europe, Code Your Future is doing incredible work with refugees. Code Tenderloin, which I mentioned earlier, primarily focuses on low-income individuals. Operation Code can connect you with veterans.

00:40:04.739 And this might sound cheesy, but there’s more! The Last Mile provides fantastic programs for incarcerated individuals in the Bay Area, while Unloop focuses on re-entry initiatives in Seattle. If you're looking to connect with black developers, check out organizations like Dev Color and Black Girls Code. For those coming from Africa, Andela has made significant strides in integrating individuals from the continent into tech. And if your interest lies in early career developers, Code Newbie, Outreachy, Hackbright Academy in San Francisco, Sabe Ola in Los Angeles, and Free Code Camp are excellent starting points.

00:40:54.150 If hiring isn’t an option, consider volunteering as a mentor or, if that’s also not feasible, then supporting these programs financially to ensure they persist. Along with bringing people in, it’s crucial to foster an environment where they can remain. Examine your project, workplace, or community critically; think about how to enhance the culture. To assist, here are some questions to consider: who haven't I heard from, and why is that? Do we have an enforced code of conduct?

00:41:27.470 I must add that 'don’t be a jerk' is not an acceptable code of conduct. Engage with these questions; commit to making improvements, and recognize that all this work starts with you. Reflect on your individual growth, both personally and as a programmer, since your growth contributes to your work.

00:42:02.200 When uncomfortable or afraid, acknowledge that overcoming such feelings figures prominently into your process of learning and growth. We should always seize opportunities to educate ourselves. Listen attentively to voices that differ from your own, amplify those who are marginalized and absent from the discourse, and consider their experiences when building.

00:42:54.930 When challenged or called out, take a moment to pause and listen. Don’t focus on whether your actions were intentional; instead, think about the impact they had. Cultivate a sense of self-awareness and mindfulness. In situations where you react negatively, ask yourself if you’re being the best version of yourself you can be. If you need inspiration, remember there are remarkable communities and individuals developing the vital work of inclusivity.

00:44:20.720 I’ve compiled some exciting projects you can contribute support to: Glia uses open source to 3D print medical supplies in areas where they are scarce, significantly reducing costs. Refuge Restrooms indexes and maps safe restroom locations for trans and gender non-conforming individuals. 'If Me' is a beautiful open-source app allowing users to share their mental health experiences with loved ones. And finally, let’s not forget Ruby For Good with its numerous projects!

00:45:51.000 It’s time to change the world! This conversation brings us a step closer to that possibility! When we prioritize working inclusively, we unleash untold potential. Together, we can transform our little corners into vibrant spaces that will cultivate thriving communities, which will evolve into great societies. When historically excluded voices gain opportunities, we all reap the benefits. While we’re just beginning to see this realization play out in the U.S., we have a long journey ahead.

00:46:32.039 That’s it from me, everyone! Thank you for your kindness and for listening. Thank you to the organizers!