A decade ago, I had a front row seat as Jesse Jackson held big tech firms accountable for being overwhelmingly white and male

Fortune

by Brennan Nevada Johnson

February 22, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Reverend Jesse Jackson played a pivotal role in shaping the tech industry’s approach to diversity and inclusion during his tenure at Rainbow PUSH Coalition. In 2014, he pressured major tech companies like Google, Meta (then Facebook), and Apple to release their first-ever diversity reports, revealing the overwhelmingly white and male makeup of their workforces. This move was groundbreaking, as it exposed the lack of representation in Silicon Valley and sparked a chain reaction of accountability and change. Jackson argued that technology, being a critical part of society, needed diverse leadership to avoid embedding bias into systems used by billions. Jackson’s efforts began at shareholder meetings where he challenged executives to prioritize transparency and inclusivity. He emphasized that diversity was not optional but essential infrastructure for building equitable technologies. His message resonated during the Platform Summit in 2014, where he highlighted how algorithms shape opportunity, platforms influence public discourse, and hiring patterns impact wealth distribution. These insights were radical at the time, as Silicon Valley had long avoided discussing its lack of diversity. The release of these early diversity reports marked a turning point. Tech companies responded by implementing bias training, expanding recruitment pipelines, and increasing hiring of women and underrepresented minorities. While change didn’t happen overnight, this newfound transparency laid the groundwork for future progress. By 2020, amid broader social movements like Black Lives Matter, tech firms pledged billions toward racial equity initiatives, leading to increased venture funding for Black entrepreneurs and the emergence of new Black-led ventures. Jackson’s legacy continues to matter in business today because it underscores the importance of accountability and ethical leadership. His work demonstrates how grassroots advocacy can force industries to confront uncomfortable truths and drive meaningful change. As Silicon Valley faces ongoing challenges with diversity, Jackson’s vision serves as a reminder that progress begins with transparency—and without it, inequality remains embedded in the systems we rely on daily.

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Originally published on Fortune on 2/22/2026