These 4 young people of color submitted the most innovative ideas for our hackathon and won VIP tickets, cash and software grant prizes!
And because almost no one funds Black and Brown people getting tech jobs, starting businesses or obtaining wealth, we're asking you to join our team and support this movement.
This is an unacceptable state of affairs and we ask that you let the world know that by contributing to Hip Hop Hackathon. It takes a village and while Data 360 is small and mighty, we cannot do this work alone.
These inventors made modern life possible throughout the globe. Do you know who invented the longest lasting light bulb? No it wasn't Edison. It was Lewis Latimer. Learn more about the inventors of the telephone transmitter, the railway, the subway, the roller coaster, refrigeration, the home security system, traffic lights, the gas mask and much more. See Day 1 and Day 2 of the articles published on LinkedIn.
In order to encourage Latino participants in Hip Hop Hackathon to learn more about the STEM field and close the gap by pursing STEM careers, we are featuring the following famous and well regarded Latinx scientists and inventors. See the article published on LinkedIn on May 9, 2022.
For the Hip Hop Hackathon, we're promoting dozens of apprenticeship and certification programs across many different tech companies to expose Black and Brown workers to new opportunities in tech and STEM. Let's take a deep dive into supporting Black and Brown workers with apprenticeships first.
According to the Huffington Post, less than 5% of the United States’ population has a STEM degree. This is shocking in a time where we need more tech professionals in the workforce than ever before.
Apprenticeships are important for access to tech. Over 75% of US businesses report having a hard time recruiting skilled job applicants. More and more companies are looking to expand their hiring beyond traditional college degrees and into apprenticeships, as a solution to fill the talent gap.
Check out the whole playlist for Hip Hop Hackathon on YouTube.
And because almost no one funds Black and Brown people getting tech jobs, starting businesses or obtaining wealth, we're asking you to join our team and support this movement.
This is an unacceptable state of affairs and we ask that you let the world know that by contributing to Hip Hop Hackathon. It takes a village and while our team is small and mighty, we cannot do this work alone.
Hip Hop Hackathon is a community of creators, makers, and changemakers who have the power to craft the future of technology and culture by leveraging their unique talents to build solutions that address real-world problems. We know that our movement is not limited to the three pillars of rap, dance, and technology. We are artists and creators from all walks of life who have the potential to combine their expertise across a variety of disciplines to empower the culture.
The proportion of bachelor’s degrees in science awarded to Black graduates remained flat at about 9 percent from 2001 to 2016, according to the most recent available figures from the National Science Foundation; in engineering, it declined from 5 percent to 4 percent; and in math, it dropped from 7 percent to 4 percent.
More recent figures released in April 2021 by the Pew Research Center show that, in 2018, Black students earned 7 percent of STEM bachelor’s degrees.
College-going trends that have occurred during the pandemic threaten to lower these proportions even further. Total Black undergraduate enrollment at universities and colleges is down by more than 7 percent this semester from where it was last spring, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports.
According to a Pew Research Center report from April 2021, Hispanic people make up 17% of the total workforce, but only 8% of workers in the STEM field. Comparatively, white workers make up 63% of the overall workforce and 67% of STEM workers. Furthermore, the average Hispanic STEM worker makes only 83% of the average white worker's salary. These inequities demonstrate how STEM has routinely favored white workers while disfavoring Hispanic individuals.
While Hispanic representation in STEM has grown one percentage point since 2018, more needs to be done by higher education institutions and hiring managers to help fix this underrepresentation, but that will take time. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), STEM jobs are the hardest to fill. A 2013 Global Executive Solutions Group study found STEM jobs took 50 days to fill on average — 16 days longer than jobs with no education requirements.
Historically, Hispanic and Latino/a students have been underserved in STEM fields due to divergences in the education system. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2021, Hispanics earned 15% of all bachelor's degrees in the U.S., but only 12% of STEM degrees. At the master's level, they earned 11% of degrees overall, but only 9% of STEM degrees.
The numbers for Hispanic women in STEM look even worse. The SRF report found that Hispanic women represented 7% of the total workforce, but just 2% of STEM workers in 2018. Despite earning higher average grades than men, Hispanic women experienced the lowest levels of STEM confidence, and their interests and aspirations in STEM were lower than those of Hispanic men.
Among the many reasons for these divisions, differences in preparedness and socioeconomic status play a significant role. Hispanic students were more likely than their peers to attend under-resourced schools, come from lower-income households, and experience financial restrictions to higher education. Xenophobic and racist messaging and a lack of Hispanic visibility in STEM careers also dissuade young Hispanic and Latino/a students — especially women — from pursuing the discipline.
In addition to bringing together talented young people from undervalued communities, the Hackathon creates a venue for showcasing the creativity and building skillsets that can lead to a lucrative stream of income in a variety of high-demand careers in the tech sector.
Hip Hop was built on the idea of making the most of what you have, not waiting for permission. That’s why Hip Hop Hackathon is excited to announce the launch of our first ever STEM challenge. By creating Hip Hop workshops that focus on technology and programming, we’re making it easier for minority students to break into the tech industry. Join us as we present this challenge to rising talent with updated creative, technical and innovative resources.
We are focused on providing opportunities and mentorship to traditionally underrepresented and underserved communities through the power of technology. The hackathon's goals are:
1. To promote STEM education and careers,
2. To encourage everyone with an interest in computer science to pursue higher education or training,
3. To build community within the larger Hip Hop communities around the United States and beyond to a global audience, and
4. To celebrate the legacy of the culture of Hip Hop.
National STEM Day on Sway's Universe
STEM is important statistically as our STEM graduation rates lag our peers and even after graduation we face microaggressions complicating the journey. This is why we believe that it is one of the most important conversations in culture, because as technology innovates without a diverse view we will not only have to fight systematic bias but also programmatic bias. Watch this video that talks about Marie's STEM background and how her career in STEM took different turns.
$10,000 in software and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Hip Hop Hackathon?
The community kick-off for the Hip Hop Hackathon started on February 8-9, 2022 continued with training, workshops, events online and nationwide through August 2022 with a one-week competition. Stay tuned for new details for the 2023 Hip Hop Hackathon.
What is happening between now and then?
The team and sponsors are holding various workshops and programs in communities throughout the United States with community, government, non-profit and corporate partners to spread the word about the movement.
When is the Hip Hop Hackathon launching?
We launched November 8, 2021 on National STEM Day.
The National STEM/STEAM Day is solely focused to help people of all ages and walks of life to rekindle their passion for innovation in the fields of STEM/STEAM.
The concept has been promoted greatly since the 2000s where the studies showed that most of the U.S. students were not keen on having careers in the STEM discipline than other countries. The report also predicted that the country will not be able to compete in the global economy if the situation continues. After this realization, educators focus more on STEM/STEAM research, education, and education policy.
Where is Hip Hop Hackathon launching?
We launched on Sway's Universe on Sirius XM on November 8, 2021. See the video on YouTube.
What is the short term and long term vision?
Team members for the project will be working to obtain annual sponsorship for the Hip Hop Hackathon in the short-term to build up the infrastructure and staff for this initiative. Long-term the team members for this project will be working to create an annual collaboration of events throughout the United States and globally.
What will participants learn?
Participants will be certified via Accredible (see accredible.com) on the following tracks:
Game and Interactive Innovations.
Game and Interactive Innovations offers an opportunity to work on PlayStation, Oculus, Google AR/VR and Microsoft Hololens and virtual space, so come together to work with new sceneries, designs, and code.
Social services
New ideas for banking, time management, social living, meeting, sharing, and others. Improve social life and communications with your ideas!
AR/VR Advertising
Advertising is everywhere. Catch a chance to become a part of its reinvention. Participants will create new conceptions for AR/VR marketing in real life!
Learning and education
Research has been done on learning in virtual reality, as its immersive qualities may enhance learning. Participants will create solutions to help people learn faster and more efficiently!
Product development
This track is about innovations in real-life products. Any product can always be improved. Participants will be encouraged to design something special, something we didn’t even think about.
Do I need to know how to code?
People of all skill levels can join, even if you've never written a line of code. We'll teach you everything you need to know to take part in the project
Who can participate?
Attendees must be over 18 and agree to the Hip Hop Hackathon Code of Conduct unless under special invite with a community partner.
Contribute to the Hip Hop Hackathon
Register to contribute as a mentor, adviser, teacher, speakers, event facilitator or sponsor of hiphophackathon.com.
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