In Praise of the Charlottes

If you have not watched Riley Hooper's  six minute video The Men Walking Every Block in New York City, do it now. Trust me, it is so much better then anything I will write.

I loved this video. I love the curiosity. I love the enthusiasm. I love the walking. My initial reaction was "I want to walk Durham". My second reaction was "I miss New York City"  and my third was "I bet it would be fun to walk with Helmreich and Green."

Then it hit me: Riley Hooper is the heart of this documentary. Like Charlotte A. Cavatica, I expect Hooper adores her subject. protects them and inspires others to do the same. I want to live in the world that she showed us: A world where strangers talk to each other; where odd signs turn into inside jokes; where there are fascinating stories just around the corner. And the skyline view does not hurt either.

Thank you to all the 'Charlottes' in the world who spin their magical web and remind us that we live in a great world.

"Some Pig" !!
Ginny

And a perfect song about "The Walk of Life" by Dire Straits

The Dunning-Kruger Effect : Realizing you are a Sexist, Racist

"The miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others."^[1] David Dunning and Justin Kruger- wikipedia

I propose that if you don't identify as a sexist and racist, you could be wrong. I propose if "color-blind" and "meritocracy" come to mind to justify satistics, you could be wrong. I do not expect it is for lack of empathy or lack of education. As Hanlon reminds us, it is not malice, just stupidity.

I am not an expert in unconscious bias. I recognize the benefits of my own privilege. I have had little experience of prejudice towards me. I am working my way up the awareness curve.

Here are a few resources I have found useful:

•  Unconscious Bias @ Work by Google Ventures: Proof that we are all a bunch of racist, sexist bastards, but there is hope!
• What My Bike Has Taught Me About White Privilege:  Just an analogy. I believe I read a similar one on sexism in a male dominated profession. 
• How to overcome our biases? Walking boldly towards them:  Be prepared to hit the pause, rewind and write down her amazing advice. Verna Myers says a so much in just a few minutes.

 And here are a few things we can do:

• Join a group where you are a minority and follow. Take the notes, make the coffee, keep your mouth shut. 
• Read outside your circles.  "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison and "I know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou blew my mind.
• Look at awesome women and minorities: If you only think of white males when you think of scientists, mentors, and heroes, fix that. It takes effort but it is well worth finding people like Charles Bolden, Jennifer Pahlka, and so many others. I often tag my favorites with #bletchleycircle.
• Smile. I swear it is the easiest way to face our human nature and then be better! 

If you are worried this is directed at you, Congratulations! You are probably less of a sexist and racists then most and more aware of you own bias! I would be interested in hearing your advice. 

-Ginny

And as always, a little music 

Happy Birthday Django Girls!

Guess who is turning one? Django Girls! 

Who are Django Girls? They inspire women to fall in love with programming through Python and Django workshops. And as someone who completed their tutorial this year, I can say it works. Our local chapter of Pyladies sponsored an introduction to Django in May. The prep material was my gateway drug.

I start many online classes but Django Girls Tutorial was different.  I am not sure what it was: maybe the lighthearted tone ("That's it. You totally rock!"), maybe that it originated in Poland (who doesn't want to meet an Ola and Sonja!), or the encouragement to celebrate success ("Congratulations! You've just created your first website"). I especially appreciate that they lead the student into errors and then force us to fix them.This gave me courage to debug and think about what Django is doing. Lastly, the bit size chapters let me do a few a night and created a habit of coding. 

Here are some highlights :

1. Python: The class gets you going with python, the command line, editors and some basic intro.
2. Git and Github: The class walks you through how to use gitter, git, and github. I will admit getting my first green dot on github was a thrill! 
3. All Things Django: The sample application was simple and with a strong focus on MTV (model, template, view). 
4. HTML and CSS: The web portion was simple and useful. 
5. Hosting with PythonAnywhere: Nice overview of how to deploy on www.pythonanywhere.com

But seriously, the lighthearted tone is lovely!
Ginny

"I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right, 'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright". Thanks Django Girls. I think you got it right. Oh and Happy Birthday on July 21!
Echosmith's Bright by Gardiner Sisters