Sherrell Dorsey - Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us

SHERRELL DORSEY

FOREWORD BY DR. ANGELA JACKSON

MANAGING PARTNER, NEW PROFIT

Copyright 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Names: Dorsey, Sherrell, author.

Title: Upper hand : the future of work for the rest of us / Sherrell Dorsey.

Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [2022]

Identifiers: LCCN 2021043229 (print) | LCCN 2021043230 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119839293 (cloth) | ISBN 9781119839316 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119839309 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: MinoritiesEmploymentUnited States. | African AmericansEmployment. | Labor supplyEffect of technological innovations onUnited States. | Manpower policyUnited States. | United StatesEconomic conditions21st century.

Classification: LCC HD8081.A5 D67 2022 (print) | LCC HD8081.A5 (ebook) | DDC 331.6dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021043229
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021043230

Cover Design: Paul McCarthy

To Grandpa. Thank you for taking every risk and for showing up in the small and big ways that matter.

The future of work is already here. Global competition for labor continues to alter the employment landscape in the United States. Technology has enabled the rise of automation in manufacturing, service industries, and even whitecollar professions previously considered safe like finance and marketing. The mass adoption of digital platforms and marketplaces like Uber, TaskRabbit, and DoorDash has fueled the rise of the gig economy and, subsequently, the gig worker. And the COVID19 pandemic disrupted the world of work beyond anything we could have imagined, as millions of workers exited the labor force even as employers face historic talent shortages. It is not hyperbolic to say that America is in the midst of an economic transformation akin to the Industrial Revolution.

Employers and employees alike are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory. While it is tempting to focus our collective effort on returning to business as usual, doing so would effectively leave millions of peopleprimarily Black and Latinxon the sidelines. Already woefully underrepresented in STEM fields, the rapid pace of technological change has had a particularly pronounced impact on Black and Latinx workers and communities. As we stand at a crossroads, ready to chart a new path to a more equitable future, it is crucial that we bridge the gaps that separate us through a multifaceted, multisector approach. We must transform the underlying systems and the mindsets that exacerbate these inequities, which are deeply embedded in the way we invest in technology and innovation, the way we educate our children, and the way we organize our cities and communities.

I first heard Sherrell Dorsey's name at an entrepreneurial conference that brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and thinkers to talk about an often overlooked but thriving world: Black tech. While the Black tech ecosystem is often covered by the media with the assumption of deficits, Sherrell's publication The Plug provides a more nuanced, assetbased view. Its reporting examines the challenges, the successes, and the potential of Black tech from the standpoint of people of color. Sherrell's media company is an irreplaceable source of truth for those of us dreaming of a world of work that works for everyone. Her book is a guide on how to get there.

In Upper Hand, Sherrell shares her experience of two decades navigating the workforce, first as an employee and now as an employer. With a personal touch and rich in anecdotes and examples, she provides insight into the techdriven economy that has largely overlooked Black and brown communities, and also provides recommendations for how the tech ecosystem could diversify, leverage the genius of people of color, and build innovations that benefit everyone.

This book shows what organizational leaders, investors, and workers can do within the current system to make it more equitable. It speaks in an accessible voice to issues that many people of color will readily recognize from their own experience and it brings to the table an experienced, insider view of the tech world. I have drawn on Sherrell's insights many times in my own work leading initiatives to improve the educationtoemployment pathways for people of color.

This indispensable book is a tremendous contribution to our collective effort to navigate the rapidly changing innovation landscape, and it serves as a guide for how industry stakeholders can work together to build a more equitable world of work.