The busy streets, extensive public transit and never-ending glow of New York City owe much of their vibrancy and efficiency to the groundbreaking contributions of Black inventors.
Their innovations have silently guided the city’s pulse. From enhancing public safety to revolutionizing urban transportation and lighting, the impact of these inventors is profound and enduring.
Lewis Howard Latimer’s improved carbon filament transformed the incandescent lightbulb into a practical electric light source, illuminating homes, streets and businesses across NYC. Granville T. Woods’ Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph revolutionized communication between train stations and moving trains, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the city’s subway and rail systems.
Black innovators have not only advanced their fields but also played a pivotal role in shaping the daily lives of New Yorkers, making the city a safer, more efficient and functional place to live.
However, this legacy of innovation underscores a broader societal issue. Despite the significant contributions of Black inventors and professionals, the tech industry still faces challenges in achieving representation and ensuring equitable career opportunities for Black individuals.
These inventors’ pioneering work highlights their ingenuity and serves as a call to action for the tech industry to address these disparities and build a more inclusive future.
DICE’s DEI Program Manager Nzingha Crusoe shared her insights on the significance of Black History Month and the initiatives her company has embraced to celebrate this vital period and foster a more equitable, diverse and inclusive community beyond February.
DICE aims to transform the live entertainment experience, enabling fans to discover and attend memorable gigs, with a diverse team spread across London, Milan, Barcelona, Paris, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York.
What does Black History Month mean to you personally?
For me, Black History Month serves as a moment to embrace and celebrate what makes me unique — not only as an individual but also in the collective experiences African Americans share. Black History Month provides a platform where I feel acknowledged and celebrated. It is a dedicated time to honor the significant contributions of African Americans to the tapestry of American history, amplifying the voices of the Black community and sharing narratives unique to the diaspora.
Black History Month provides a platform where I feel acknowledged and celebrated.”
One of my favorite quotes is by author and speaker Luvvie Ajayi. “Being conscious of Global Blackness is knowing that we are not an island of our struggles but a nation of our triumphs. That’s Blackness to me.” Black History Month serves as a time to celebrate the Black community’s triumphs, contributions and resourcefulness.
How does DICE celebrate Black History Month?
This year, our focus at DICE revolves around recognizing and honoring African American contributions to the arts. In response, we have curated a month-long program to highlight the richness of African American culture.
Acknowledging the impossibility of honoring the community’s contributions and culture in just one day, we’ve carefully curated a series of four events and community activities spanning February, allowing as many DICE staff to get involved as possible. These include a trivia game, a museum visit, a book club and a panel discussion. Additionally, we’ll be supplying weekly guides throughout the month to spotlight the incredible artistry of Black Americans, not only in the United States but also across key territories worldwide.
How else does DICE work to make your workplace more equitable, diverse and discrimination-free year-round?
DEI is ingrained in everything we do at DICE, as we seek to actively foster an equitable, diverse workplace free from discrimination throughout the year. Our Employee Community Groups (ECGs) play a crucial role in this commitment. Currently, we have five ECGs catering to diverse backgrounds: the Pride community, women and femme individuals, parents and caretakers, and neurodiverse individuals. These groups consistently provide inclusive programming and spaces, fostering year-round awareness.
Our DEI team collaborates cross-functionally with all departments and conducts annual listening tours to engage and connect directly with employees. The qualitative data gathered during these tours informs our roadmaps and strategy and shapes our company culture.
At DICE, we prioritize leadership accountability to ensure DEI is truly baked into our company culture. All senior managers and leaders are not only responsible for setting personal DEI goals but also for establishing DEI objectives for their teams and technical functions. This ensures that DEI is a top-down initiative that is deeply embedded in all aspects of our operations.
