Did you ever think about how data – statistical information – could be used to foster racism and discrimination? I have to tell you, that really never crossed my mind. Until I interviewed Maya Ford, founder of Houston-based FordMomentum! for the Lean to the Left podcast.
Check this out from the Houston Business Journal:
"For the better part of her communications career, Maya Ford was usually the only person of color in the office, which means she was typically the only person to ask for data regarding minority communities.
"That needed to change, and Ford was willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. So, in 2016, she cashed out all $42,000 of her retirement at 38 years old to launch FordMomentum, a Houston-based communications firm focused on data-driven outcomes that represent communities of color.
"Now, FordMomentum! is transforming the way data is collected and used, ultimately reshaping communities."
During the episode, we discuss how science and data aren't always objective and can be used to push harmful agendas. Maya says her company is dismantling many ways racism and hatred can leak into science and data, and that's important to both businesses that are serious about marketing to minority communities, and to the equitable distribution of resources by government.
In the episode, Maya also has some choice words for Republican politicians in states that are enacting new laws aimed at making it more difficult for members of minority communities to vote, and for Congress for failing to enact new voter protection laws. "It's despicable," she says.
It's an informative and engaging episode. Take a listen.