As somebody who has been involved in various diversity efforts for years, I'm honestly not that upset about all of this. There are real problems associated with discrimination in the US, for example in the criminal justice system. Likewise, there is discrimination in less high-stakes areas like tech.
However, the main problem with Timnit and her colleagues is that they come into every situation assuming racism even when the situation is ambiguous. Likewise, if you disagree with her or want to have a nuanced discussion, she'll accuse you of imposing intellectual labor on her and in some sense you are racist for forcing her to engage in discussion.
Again, so while I appreciate how she is purportedly working to make my life better in tech, there needs to be a real awakening as far as giving people the benefit of the doubt and allowing for discussion without shaming. Google has accumulated many people with this type of attitude who have created a culture of intimidation. You can see all of this happening in real time as her colleagues come to her defense knowing little about the situation and assuming that she was fired because she was black.
However, the main problem with Timnit and her colleagues is that they come into every situation assuming racism even when the situation is ambiguous. Likewise, if you disagree with her or want to have a nuanced discussion, she'll accuse you of imposing intellectual labor on her and in some sense you are racist for forcing her to engage in discussion.
Again, so while I appreciate how she is purportedly working to make my life better in tech, there needs to be a real awakening as far as giving people the benefit of the doubt and allowing for discussion without shaming. Google has accumulated many people with this type of attitude who have created a culture of intimidation. You can see all of this happening in real time as her colleagues come to her defense knowing little about the situation and assuming that she was fired because she was black.