The undersigned individual alumni who are also members of Vanderbilt University’s Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni, many of whom have known Kimberly Bryant for more than 30 years, joined by other concerned friends and associates from the Vanderbilt community, write in response to recent actions taken against Ms. Bryant by some members of Black Girls CODE’s Board of Directors. Based on information that has been shared with us it appears as though select Board members are attempting to remove Ms. Bryant from her position as CEO without due cause and without an opportunity to be heard.

We know Kimberly Bryant to be of impeccable character and are confident that the allegations implied in media posts and interviews by some of the Board members will be unsubstantiated. Comments about Ms. Bryant’s leadership of Black Girls CODE appear to be a mischaracterization crafted to cast doubt upon her abilities as CEO, and even worse, tend to suggest wrongdoing without any semblance of factual evidence or unbiased corroboration.

Black Girls CODE is a nonprofit organization founded in 2011 in San Francisco, CA by Ms. Bryant to introduce young Black girls and other girls of color to the possibility of a professional career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (“STEM”). Over the past 10 years, Ms. Bryant, who is an electrical engineer herself, established a pathway for these girls to “embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators” through Black Girls CODE by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology. Since turning her idea into a concept and then into a successful nonprofit organization sponsored by the likes of IBM, AT&T, Nike, MasterCard, and many, many others, over 30,000 girls have participated in over 26,500 hours of Black Girls CODE classes taught by 4,238 volunteers.

Indeed, Ms. Bryant has been at the forefront of the movement to open the doors of tech to Black girls who have long been left out of the conversation. As the first non-profit to center and focus on Black girls, Black Girls CODE paved the way for other similar organizations. The founding, growth, and expansion of Black Girls CODE from a single office in the Bay Area to 15 Chapters in major cities across the U.S. have all been led by Ms. Bryant, including a second headquarters in New York City sponsored by Google. Given the current external environment, it is more important than ever that the organization be stable and positioned positively for the future.

Given this backdrop, we were dismayed to learn via social media that on December 21, 2021, days before the Holiday Season select members of the Board of Directors for Black Girls CODE suspended Ms. Bryant as CEO by sending a letter to Ms. Bryant’s personal e-mail after locking her out of her business e-mail overnight. We find it appalling that a pioneer such as Ms. Bryant would be afforded so little grace or respect. Moreover, we are concerned that these actions have already compromised the integrity of the organization and have harmed its mission.

As professionals ourselves, we acknowledge that no leader is perfect. It is a daunting challenge to launch an idea as lofty and forward-thinking as Black Girls CODE while simultaneously raising money and attending to the needs of a fast-growing company and workforce, all while training young girls in the areas of robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, game design, web design, and other classes.

Black Girls CODE experienced hyper-growth in 2020 after a summer of unrest following the murder of George Floyd and during the pandemic. Donations increased by over 1000% and the staff size more than doubled. Any CEO in this situation, having to navigate exponential growth while managing new staff virtually in multiple locations, would warrant assistance in organizational development and supportive collaboration from its Board of Directors. Instead of the Board working with Ms. Bryant to use mechanisms afforded to it such as Culture Surveys, 360 Degree Feedback, and CEO Evaluations, select members of the Board utilized the dynamic expansion and the growing pains associated with it to find fault with her management style.

It is imperative that the interim Board Chair, Heather Hiles, make certain that an independent and fair investigation be conducted into the various allegations about the Black Girls CODE workplace rather than rushing to judgment. As Ms. Hiles herself knows, and in fact stated in response to a 2020 audit alleging mismanagement and failure of the mission at Calbright College while she was president “It is easy to blame the founding CEO for everything.” (See, https://edsource.org/2021/california-state-audit-criticizes-calbright-college-for-mismanagement/654458).

This Board of Directors should now move forward with an even hand, transparency, and an eye towards absolute truth, ideally by involving objective factfinders. Moreover, given the recent decisions by the Board, it seems as though any investigation should also include how only select members of this Board could make such drastic and conclusive decisions without the full participation and vote of the entire Board of Directors.

The young women served by Black Girls CODE deserve to have their visionary founder remain in place. The undersigned members of the Association of Vanderbilt’s Black Alumni and other concerned friends and associates stand firmly with Kimberly Bryant. We hope that this matter will be resolved quickly, with dignity, and with transparent findings so that the work for Black girls interested in the tech field can continue.

Respectfully shared,

Concerned Vanderbilt Black Alumni, Friends and Associates