#28DaysofDiversity: Sherri L. Smith @misssmith11

It’s an honor to be included in the “28 Days of Diversity” series. When I was asked to participate, I was both excited and honored. Since I was a child, I’ve always been fascinated by technology and ways it can improve our lives. And as an adult, it’s incredible to witness how far the world has come and how far it can potentially go with the help of technology.

During my time at BlackPlanet.com, I learned about the power of community. As the premiere site for African Americas on the web, BlackPlanet was seminal in showing that not only were blacks on the web, we were an active community of millions. In addition, BlackPlanet laid the foundation for the current class of social networking sites, including MySpace and Facebook.

FastCompany was a lesson in the power of design and innovation — how when combined with technology they can capture the imagination and potentially change the world. From environmentally conscious skyscrapers with eye-catching design to a viral experiment to determining social influence on the web, FastCompany not only reports on the movers and shakers in the industry, it has the power to make its own impression.

Which brings me to Black Web 2.0. In the time I’ve worked here, I’ve learned many things — the primary lesson being that not only can African Americans use and consume technology along with everyone else — we can create and innovate as well. We’ve spoken with black CEOs, CTOs, and CMOs that had the gumption to move an idea beyond the drawing board phase. We’ve reported on the launches of new African American-owned digital properties as well as the affect technology has on the community and how we in turn can affect it. We’ve celebrated triumphs, puzzled at missteps, and wondered aloud at the future. There have been accolades for both the site and our owner, but the biggest success we can have is to empower you, our readers. If one person can take something they’ve read from this site and go create the next big thing in tech, then we’ve succeeded. Or better yet, if someone can show this site to a young black child and say, ‘yes, you can achieve this to, if you just work hard and never give up,” that might be the biggest win of all.

I’ve met so many people in my career that have influenced my outlook on blacks in technology — too many to list here, but off the top of my head I want to thank Lynne d Johnson, Omar Wasow, Angela Benton, Mike Street, Robin Caldwell , Dupe Ajayi, and Ellen McGirt. Through knowing you, I’ve become a better journalist and a better techie.

Please click here to check me out in the series and stay tuned for even more brilliant people.

About the Author
Sherri is a freelance writer that has a love of all things fun and geeky including gadgets, gaming, anime, and comics. When she isn't writing or out on the town living it up, she loves doing 10-12 hour marathon sessions on her Xbox 360 or one of her older consoles. It's not an addiction, it's a way of life!
See all posts by Sherri L. Smith.