Daniella Okyere Boateng, public relations co-chair for BiT, said that in a school as big as UNC, it can be hard to find like-minded individuals, which makes organizations such as BiT so valuable.
“Another thing we do emphasize in Black in Tech is informal mentorship, where the upperclassmen are looking out for the underclassmen,” she said. “If they’ve taken a class before that underclassmen are now taking, they’re always willing to help with an assignment, or with finding internships or preparing for interviews and stuff like that.”
Black in Technology recently hosted AfroPix 2025 on Feb 22. This year’s symposium featured networking opportunities with tech sponsors such as Fidelity Investments and Wells Fargo, presentations and workshops, an alumni panel and for the first time, a hackathon.
“The main goal is to bring together a community of bright, young African American minds from across the state, bring them all into a room where we have workshops for them to learn,” Mbugua said.
He said that AfroPix is a great opportunity for students to meet peers their age who they can share ideas with, not only Black students but all students who are underrepresented in the field.
Mbugua also said that there were projects at AfroPix addressing issues within the African American community, such as history being hidden at a governmental level or problems such as underrepresentation.
While BiT and AfroPix provide several opportunities for students in computer science, Okyere Boateng also said that students who aren’t studying computer science or don’t have coding experience can still gain so much from being a part of BiT or attending its events.
“I think everyone left [AfroPix] feeling empowered as Black students to go into these spaces that sometimes we ourselves don’t feel qualified,” Okyere Boateng said.
Amidst various cuts to DEI programs, whether corporate, federal or even at an institutional level, Dankwah said that it is important to build a strong community foundation, bridge collaboration with other organizations with similar missions — such as Latinos in Tech, Pearl Hacks or National Society of Black Engineers — and maintain strong on their vision.
Mbugua highlighted the importance of Black clubs on campus in providing students with mentorships and directing them toward opportunities they may not know they have access to while at UNC.
“You know how much these opportunities offer, and you don’t want to see them go to waste,” he said. “UNC is a lot of people’s dream school, obviously, and you want them to have the best opportunity while they’re here.”
Reaching new students and drawing them in can be challenging, Mbugua said. He wants students to know that there are so many fellow students willing to help, and pointed to various success stories.
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“It’s been a really rewarding experience, being able to develop students professionally, and socially, [being] able to maintain culture on campus,” Mbugua said.
