Pariss Chandler is a former aesthetician turned front-end developer. She transitioned into tech in 2017 after participating in Resilient Coders, a coding bootcamp for people of color.
Chandler is the creator of the hashtag and movement #BlackTechTwitter, bringing awareness and exposure to the Black community in the tech industry.
Chandler is also founder of Black Tech Pipeline, a service-based platform focused on recruiting and retaining Black technologists and connecting them with jobs.
Additionally, she runs a popular Slack and Discord community for #BlackTechTwitter, as well as a newsletter dedicated to shining a light on influencers within the community. She's also a great follow on Twitter: @ParissAthena.
Boston Speaks Up · 047: Black Tech Pipeline Founder Pariss Chandler
Please find our pre-podcast Q&A with Chandler below, and be sure to subscribe to the #BlackTechPipeline newsletter here.
Where did you grow up?
Cambridge, MA
How would you describe your childhood?
Amazing! Had the best childhood. I grew up during the times where people were constantly outside but still meddling with computers and tech. I’m appreciative that I grew up in best of the both worlds.
What is your first memory of encountering racism?
There are many but the most apparent one was when I was at the playground alone after school. I was pushing the tire swing around and 3 white siblings walked over to me and told me to leave, that I wasn’t welcome there, and just straight up being bullies. I was a pretty tough kid and told them no, and who did they think they are? Then I remember they all looked at each other and said, ‘If it looks like a n*gger, talks like a n*gger, it is a n*gger.” I didn’t understand why they said that, and it didn’t really register just how bad it was that they said that, but it still sticks with me till this day.
What compelled you to pursue a career in tech and learn to code?
I just kept hearing about coding everywhere, and it got to a point where I felt compelled to ask what it was. I was told that if I didn’t have some sort of technological background, I’d be left behind. Funny enough, when I heard that, I was a wax specialist full time, and I was losing clientele due to laser hair removal. I was literally losing my job to a machine.
How would you describe your experience participating in Resilient Coders?
Incredible. I wish I could repeat it. Great curriculum, but even better staff. They’re still my family till this day, and I’d do anything for that program and the people in it.
What word best sums up Resilient Coders founder David Delmar Sentíes?
There’s too many. In my own words- Dope as f*ck.
You were an innovation and technology intern at Hill Holiday for a few months in 2017. What was that like?
It was cool, I learned a lot. I had been dying to get an internship there way before I even knew RC existed, but it was because of Del and his amazing networking skills that I got in there. I definitely dealt with racism and exclusion there, but I still took away so much. There’s so much I learned there that I still use till this day, especially when it comes to marketing.
You’ve previously described the lack of acceptance you felt when you first began working in tech. What do you have to say to those former colleagues who didn’t invite you anywhere?
I’d tell them “You’re part of the problem.” (I’d say more but I’ll keep it profesh.)
What compelled you to initiate #BlackTechTwitter?
I didn’t really initiate it. #BlackTechTwitter happened by accident, very unintentionally. I just got on twitter to post about my new job search journey in tech, and to sh*t post. I noticed there were a few Black technologists on twitter, which I found interesting. I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in tech. I put out a tweet, it caught lots of traction, formed a community, and boom. Here we are today.
How has the #BlackTechTwitter community changed your experience in tech?
It’s kept me here. I don’t think I’d stay in this industry had I not found a community that was safe, supportive, encouraging, and inspiring. That community looks just like me. It’s an incredible feeling. I feel like I have an army behind me, and that alone is enough.
Beyond organizations like Resilient Coders expanding, and more programs like it launching, what can the Boston innovation community do to help more Black and Brown people get involved in technology?
This can start in so many places, it’s a long winded answer. Overall, it can start just at school. Especially schools in underserved communities. It can be multiple grade levels, obviously would be ideal if it began during very young ages. I think something that’s incredibly important is to let kids know that tech isn’t limited to programming. It’s not hard, (it is but not as hard as it seems), and it’s not only for people who you’d consider geniuses. There’s a stereotype when people think of tech, and we need to make it clear that it’s not real. Tech is extremely dynamic, and it’s for everyone.
In light of recent events sparked by the murder of George Floyd, how would you describe the #BlackLivesMatter protests we’re seeing in Boston and across America?
They’re exactly what they need to be. My views are a lot more radical than others. I’m very much in support of a revolution and doing the whole overthrowing the government for some form of world peace, equity, equality, etc.
What does the #BlackLivesMatter movement mean to you?
It means that we’re so impacted by white supremacy, systematic racism, prejudice, bias, and negative judgement, that we have to have a movement to tell other humans that we’re human too. It pisses me off that this even exists. I don’t like the fact that we have to tell other humans that we are just like them, deserve equality, and not to be treated as some strange species. It’s infuriating.
How well do you think Boston is managing the #BlackLivesMatter movement?
As far as protesters and allies, I think we’re doing okay. I love that we’re showing up and showing out. We’re protecting one another, speaking up, defending one another, and that’s what I love to see. That’s what I love to be a part of, and that’s how things should be. However, I’m not a fan of our police, our mayor, our leaders, but I don’t expect much from them. Look at our government. Our mayor just stated he’d replace the Christopher Columbus statue that we beheaded. Why he’d replace a racist? Not sure, but it’s things like that that remind me even though we’re a “blue state”, we still have a long way to go. We are not perfect, at all.
Boston is lucky to have you as an engaged community member. As you grow as a community leader, can you share how you envision your diversity and inclusion work evolving?
I’d love to do what i do on a larger scale, and be able to do it my way, or at least in a way that prioritizes accountability. I don’t like anything fluffy, or beating around the bush, and I like working with companies who appreciate that transparency, because honesty is what creates breakthrough, and that breakthrough is what creates change.
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