Technology Versus African Americans

Walton believes that African Americans have had and are continuing to have struggles with the growing technology. In the past, technology was never provided for them, due to slavery. They never had the rights to engage in anything other than picking cotton or doing their master's daily chores. Even in the present, technology is harmfully affecting the African American society. They are far behind other races in the technology provided for them. In looking at these facts, Walton asks the question, "where are the armies of ghetto youths ready to meet the innovation and programming needs of an exponentially expanding electronic frontier and get rich in the process, in what is perhaps the last gold rush in American history?"
Economics has always been presented as a problem for African Americans on the topic of technology. Many who come from the "ghetto" or the "slums" of America do not have the financial supply to purchase newer technology, much less produce products such as Microsoft or Hewlett Packard. Everyday that people do not take advantage of the technology presented to them is a day they fall farther behind in America. Technology has changed so much even over the past ten years. Another puzzling question is how much technology is actually presented to them?
Getting involved with technology beyond consumerism is crucial. Many African Americans are more involved with entertainment-type careers more so than educational-type careers. Poor education is a major problem for them. Many schools lack the money and therefore lack resources necessary to gain a good education with the use of technology. Another issue is the way they were brought up, or their "folkways". People in general are more likely to follow what they know rather than make their own pathway. Walton says "folkways, the consciousness of the race, change at a slower pace than social conditions do - and so a working strategy can turn into a crippling blindness and self-limitation. While much of these issues are out of their control, I feel as if they still need to encourage younger generations to become apart of the technological mainstream. "Otherwise they will be unable to cross the next technological threshold that emerges in human civilization."