As a White guy in tech, I can say that I've worked with some really sharp Black developers. An unfortunately small number, which has always led me to wonder why there aren't more Black individuals in tech. Is it actual racism, whether overt individual level racism, or just systemic racism? Is it the so called "pipeline problem?" Or something else?<p>With that question in mind, I've spoken to a few of my Black colleagues over the years, and a refrain I've heard more than once is something that can be paraphrased as<p><i>"I grew up in the hood and when I started looking at going to college and studying programming, nobody supported me or wanted me to do that. Now that I moved away and work in tech, I get called 'Uncle Tom' or get accused of 'trying to be White'"</i>.<p>I'd be curious to know if this sort of mindset is really common-place. Is there a "thing" that members of (some?) Black communities aren't encouraged to pursue this kind of path, or will even be criticized or shunned for doing so?<p>That aside, as a White Guy In Tech, what can I do help my (current or future) Black colleagues, vis-a-vis issues related to race discrimination, other than simply "try not to be a racist?"