GM Catapults Launch of Black Girls Code Detroit Chapter

General Motors volunteers help 2nd - 6th grade students at Detroit International Academy Tuesday, September 12, 2017 during a STEM-focused activity in celebration of the GM - Black Girls Code partnership and the launch of a Detroit chapter in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors)

Black Girls CODE has frequented the media a lot as of late, particularly for turning down a $125,000 grant from Uber that the founder, Kimberly Bryant felt was disingenuous.

Bryant told TechCrunch that, “it seems a bit tone-deaf to really addressing real change in how they are moving towards both inclusion and equity. It appears to be more PR driven than actually focused on real change. So we turned it down.”

Recently, another grant surfaced along with several other offers allowing the company to raise well over $145,000, exceeding the initial Uber offer.

General Motors stepped up to the plate, putting their resources in the pot, which recently led to the launch of the Black Girls CODE Detroit chapter.

A recent press release stated that according to the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit outpaces the nation in information technology job growth and is expected to continue the pace through 2025.

Typically known to lack diversity, the partnership aims to increase interest in STEM career fields for girls of color. The numbers are astounding. The press release also states that, only 3% of African American women and less than 1% of Latinas receive degrees in computer science.

GM isn’t just putting their money where their mouth is. The team gathered at the Michigan Science Center during the launch for a meet-and greet, to connect with the girls, the BGC Detroit chapter team and to volunteer.

(General Motors volunteers help 2nd – 6th-grade students at Detroit International Academy Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017 during a STEM-focused activity in celebration of the GM – Black Girls Code partnership and the launch of a Detroit chapter in Detroit, Michigan. Image: John F. Martin for General Motors)

“Although we’ve hosted workshops in the area off and on since 2012, we are thrilled to officially launch a Black Girls CODE chapter in Detroit with the support of GM and other corporate and community partners like Comcast and Wayne State University,” said Bryant in the release.

“Our regular programming, launching this fall, will lay a foundation to fully engage girls of color in Detroit and is designed to inspire them to continue their paths as future STEM professionals.”