Replaced Underrepresented with Historically excluded

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 03:05:00 -0000

I originally heard this at Refactr.tech during a panel with Kim Crayton and Brandeis Marshall.

Underrepresented indicates there is a lack of representation, which can be true but fails to identify the reason why they are excluded.

When it comes to tech, the reason for this is linked to systemic level oppression through lack of funding, recruiting, established pipelines, and gatekeeping.

While "Historically Excluded" doesn't speak to the present, it better explains why there may be representation issues in the space while also providing context and establishing importance of intentional work in improving the situation for one or more groups in the space.