Black Data Processing Associates

Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) is a non-profit organization that serves the professional well-being of its stakeholders. BDPA provides resources that support the professional growth and technical development of minority individuals in the information technology industry. Through education and leadership, BDPA promotes innovation, business skills, and professional development. The organization has over 50 chapters throughout the United States. BDPA National headquarters is located in Largo, Maryland.[1]

Black Data Processing Associates
Founded1975
FounderEarl A. Pace, Jr.
Area served
United States
Key people
Leadership
WebsiteBDPA

History

BDPA was founded in 1975 by Earl A. Pace, Jr. and David Wimberly after the two met in Philadelphia to discuss their concerns about ethnic minorities in the data processing field. The founders cited a lack of minorities in middle and upper management, low recruitment and poor preparation of minorities for these positions, and an overall lack of career mobility.

The founders built an organization of 35 members, hosted presentations to improve data processing skills and launched a job opportunities announcement service. This nucleus has grown to over 50 chapters throughout the United States and thousands of members. The organization is a catalyst for professional growth and technical development for those in the IT industry.[2]

BDPA High School Computer Competition

The National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) was founded in 1986. The competition started as a two-team event between Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA, and now has over 20 teams from chapters throughout the nation.[3]

gollark: Oh, and their suggestion of "free 15Mbps internet connectivity" is underspecified and stupid. I would just have someone or other design a mandatorily-implemented-in-all-computers-with-communications-hardware self-organizing mesh network protocol.
gollark: Schools would be replaced with large warehouse-type spaces with computers, vaguely intelligent-looking adults and arbitrarily large quantities of children in them.
gollark: The profit margin cap on companies is obviously stupid. Instead, clones of me (technology TODO) would be authorized to randomly inspect and restructure companies to make them work better.
gollark: In the interests of fairness (treating people how they want to be treated), the death penalty would only be used on people who had previously supported the death penalty.
gollark: So I would instead assign a quota for *total* health, and distribute healthcare to maximize that.

References
  1. About BDPA
  2. Lesley S. J. Farmer (2005), Digital Inclusion, Teens, and Your Library: Exploring the Issues and Acting on Them, Libraries Unlimited, ISBN 978-1-59158-128-4
  3. High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Program, bdpa.org
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