Category Archives: interviews

interview: najeema washington

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As a part of Digital Capital Week, Najeema Washington, founder of Sterling Flow Media, is hosting a discussion today at 1:30 p.m. titled Social Media for Non-traditional Users: Overcoming the New Digital Divide. The purpose of this session is to introduce social media technologies to an audience that may be somewhat tech savvy but unfamiliar or uncomfortable with using social media.

I was fortunate to be able to interview Ms. Washington prior to her session to gain greater insight into the purpose of the session and why she believes it to be important.

Q: What inspired you to develop this session for DCWeek?

A: I was inspired to do this session because I wanted to be a part of DC Week and I remember a need that was expressed to me by ‘non-traditional users’ at a Black PR Meeting earlier this year. On top of that, I have parents in the age group that I classify as non-traditional users. My mom knows how to turn on the computer, but Facebook is completely foreign to her. But there are lots of things that she’s missing out on the web, based on her interests. Social media would enhance her web experience.

Q: How do you classify “non-traditional” users? What do you consider to be the greatest barriers to them utilizing social media?

A: Initially the classification was based on older users, those 45 and older. But then I realized that there are lots of new social users and that many populations could benefit. It’s not just about ‘older people.’ This presentation is about eliminating the digital divide for all people who are interested in learning how social media can improve their personal or professional lives. That includes users with disabilities, bi-lingual populations, individuals reentering the workforce, or even reentering society, such as the prison population. The greatest barriers are exposure and a lack of technology. If you don’t have the machinery to participate, then it’s nearly impossible to immerse yourself into the technology and social media.

Q: Why do you think that it’s important for non-traditional users to utilize social media? What do you see as the benefits?

A: Trends and new social media technologies are still a mystery to a large population. Growing numbers of older social media users may be more tech savvy than their peers, but have a hard time staying particularly current, or identifying the social media best suited for their personal and entrepreneurial needs. This session hopes to help moderately savvy older users to overcome the digital divide in social media. There are a number of uses for social media including entrepreneurial pursuits or personal development. Non-traditional users will be behind the digital divide if they don’t educate themselves on what media work best for them.

Q: Have you found that “non-traditional” users are intimidated by social media? If so, what is your strategy for helping them to overcome that sense of intimidation?

A: Yes, non-traditional users are intimidated by social media, in my opinion. My strategy to overcome that is to expose the user to the benefits of the technology and be very practical with my examples. For example, do you want to plan your family or class reunion? Do you want to launch your baking business online.

In the end, one’s desire to not be left behind the curve has got to be the catalyst to propel them forward into these new technologies. Hopefully the very specific learning objectives of the presentation will be helpful to this group of non-traditional users. The learning objectives are 1) Become familiar with popular social media platforms, 2) Identify which best fit their needs, 3) Develop a simple social media strategy, and 4) Learn tools for simple integration of social media.

Q: Do you believe that having a social media presence is critical to an entrepreneur? If so, why? If not, why not?

A: Without a doubt, yes. Now, it’s certainly possible to successfully run a business without a social media presence. But a newly launched business must implement social media strategies in order to capture the population that relies on social media for information. How many times do people just google whatever they’re looking for. How can your business be found if you’re not on the web? Now, it’s more than just having a Facebook page or a twitter account. The most successful entrepreneurs have relationships with their customers. But the right social media strategist can help your social media achieve the personal feel that is necessary to profitably connect with consumers.

interview: faith dow

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As a part of Digital Capital Week, Social Media Manager, Faith Dow is hosting and moderating a discussion today at 6:30 p.m. titled Bridging Technology with Community Activism and Advocacy: Black Tech Blazers. The session also includes a roundtable discussion consisting of Chris Cooks, Najeema Washington and Candace Tyler and is intended to be the first in a series of conversations.

I was fortunate to get the opportunity to ask Ms. Dow a few questions as a kind of “pre-cap” to the session. I will also be attending the session and posting a re-cap afterwards.

Q: What inspired you to develop this session for DCWEEK?

A: As an advocate of human rights, social justice and deploying tools of empowerment for those who may be misdirecting their focus on situations that work against their interests, I have noticed conversations surrounding technology are far too homogenous. Even when a “multi-cultural” focus is deployed it still doesn’t always address the specific needs of th African-American community or in uplifting women and children. Instead of hoping for others to meet those needs or take a leadership role in addressing these discrepancies I decided to be the one I was waiting for and do so myself. Far too often we have legitimate criticism of how things may be lacking but most people are unwilling to step forward to take charge and make the effort themselves. So many black women are already serving as heads of households and we need to utilize our ingenuity and strength in ways that will be reciprocated for our benefit. This panel is debuting during Digital Capital Week but will be part of an ongoing conversation that is sorely missing.All are welcome to participate.

Q: Have you found that the contributions of Blacks in technology tend to be unknown and/or overlooked? If so, why?

A: As with everything as a non-dominant group the contributions of blacks can tend to be unfamiliar. We have historically been creators of so many valuable inventions from the potato chip to the street light. Partially it was due to structural barriers but more recently it’s been due to lack of ethnic pride in our contributions towards building this country. If we don’t acknowledge our own work and coordinate with each other to motivate and elevate the status of the black collective no one else will.

Q: Why do you think that it’s important to integrate social media with mobile devices? What is the benefit of that?

A: More people will access the internet using mobile devices than a desktop or laptop computer so it’s imperative to ensure as many people have access as possible. The cost of the device is a concern as smart phones can be prohibitive. More companies will also offer digital tablets as a bridge between the phone and a computer. The other main concern is how they’re tied to a specific carrier and the cost of the service plan to utilize their data capabilities. This is the current battleground that people need to be paying attention to. When companies like AT&T suddenly remove their unlimited data plan after a record 1 million iPads were sold in one month this is a problem. In addition the fact ISPs are now structured to charge individuals for an a) home internet plan b) phone data plan c) additional device data plan when it’s all essentially coming from the same place we was consumers are being taken advantage of.

Q: Have you found that some people are intimidated by social media? If so, what is your strategy for helping people to overcome that sense of intimidation?

A:People are often intimidated by things they don’t understand. My focus is two-fold. I’d like to focus future initiatives on bringing people over the age of 50 up to speed as they may have a wealth of life experience but need to adapt to the technological leap. The fastest rising group of users on social networking site Facebook is 55+. Most importantly though, we need to train our youth. They don’t have an aversion to technology and engaging them early on will ensure they remain competitive akin to the rest of society. Having a specialized skill set will make it that much easier for an individual to remain employable in rapidly changing industries if they have a base core skill set. It would be best however, if people focus on starting their own businesses that operate outside of specific regional or national ties and can thrive in a global market.

Q: Your session also addresses the use of technology in education. Please give three examples of how school systems can best utilize technology and social media.

A:That’s an interesting question that requires more than a step 1-3. Teachers and school administrations have to be on board in using technology and social media and decide on a course of action. Then there’s the actual use of devices and materials and the costs associated with that. Then there’s the implementation of coursework and workshops for students. Aside from that there needs to be cyber policies in place that protect children and guides for usage. As always school systems with more financial resources or active parent engagement may be able to implement a program faster. What I’d like to see are resources set aside for underserved communities as well as better use of those that have already been allocated.

Additional Comments:

Children need to know they have as many options as possible. This was the original impetus for focusing on the contributions of blacks in technology to begin with. Far too many look to others who rap or play ball and think those are their only career options. The demonization of education has also been allowed to run unabated. It has brought down the status of the black community. There has to be a way to integrate learning, instilling discipline and yes making it “hip” again. This is one such intitiative towards addressing that.

If you’d like to attend this FREE session, you can register here. Hope to see you there!