I've often been asked why I care so much about helping people learn to code. I've always responded by saying that code is power, and learning to code gives you power. The more you understand code, the more you understand how much impact tech platforms and products have on people's lives - whether through the implementation of specific features, or the lack of implementation of certain features. It matters little whether these impacts are intentional or not. When you've built a platform that a significant part of society uses for communication, for example, your code has direct impact on society itself. When you write code that helps determine who gets a loan, you impact who can afford to buy a home.

It is abundantly clear in the US, and in many places around the world, that those who have power are desperate to hold on to that power, and are willing to use force - "any means necessary" is an all too common phrase - to hold on to that power. And that force is disproportionally, to a mind-boggling degree, used against Black people, Indigenous people, and anyone who can be classified as a minority.

As you learn to code, please be aware of the power you are gaining. As you work on projects, whether your own projects or those that are controlled by someone else, please focus on projects that share power. Please refuse to work on projects that consolidate power, especially for those who will use it against others.