When Grace Wisher, an indentured Black teenager, stitched the Star-Spangled Banner, her hands moved like an algorithm at work—debugging a system not designed for her survival. Her thread followed a pattern, weaving strength into a flag that waved over a country that had programmed her to be invisible.
Fast-forward centuries, and the patterns remain. Whether it’s Black women stitching quilts that mapped routes to freedom or Katherine Johnson using equations to defy gravity and racism at NASA, the narrative is clear: we have always recognized patterns others ignored, adapting and creating under duress.
But what if we stopped patching their broken systems? What if we redirected our ingenuity toward sewing new fabrics of possibility and coding futures that center our liberation?
Sewing and Coding: The Liberation Technologies
At 39, I taught myself two life-changing things: how to code and how to sew. On the surface, these might seem like disparate skills, but they’re deeply connected. Both involve pattern recognition, precision, and the courage to create something from nothing. Consider Rosa Parks, whom history often paints as just a tired seamstress. But like the precision in her stitches, her resistance was carefully measured and strategically placed. Before she refused to move on that bus, she had spent years carefully threading movements together at the NAACP. Her seamstress work wasn't separate from her activism - it was part of the same pattern of resistance. She understood that sometimes the strongest statement is a perfectly placed stitch, a carefully chosen moment to say 'no.
Sewing teaches you how to read seams like code, deciphering the intent behind the stitches. Coding, on the other hand, is about building structures that function—a different kind of garment, one that wraps us in innovation.
Women, particularly Black women in history, have an impeccable ability to detect when things are unraveling. It’s not just anecdotal—it’s backed by research. Studies show women excel at complex problem-solving and risk assessment, often detecting crises earlier than men. During World War II, as men went off to war, women stepped into factories, classrooms, and hospitals, keeping the machinery of the world running. What if they had chosen not to?
Today, we face a similar inflection point. The systems around us are fraying: democracy, corporate accountability, climate stability. Yet, once again, we’re being called to “fix it.” But here’s the truth: when we step in to save broken systems, we delay the inevitable collapse.
The Science of Knowing When to Stop - BlACK WOMEN's History LessonS
In systems theory, there’s a concept called planned obsolescence. Some systems, like the tech we build, are designed to break down over time. But what happens when the foundational flaws are intentional? When oppression isn’t a bug but a feature?
Research from the field of collective intelligence shows that diverse groups—especially those led by women—make better decisions under uncertainty. Yet, when Black women are thrust into leadership roles in broken systems, we’re often given “glass cliff” positions: leadership roles in organizations destined to fail. It’s a pattern so prevalent it’s almost a scientific law.
So, what if we redirected that energy? Instead of patching, debugging, and maintaining their faulty systems, what if we built parallel ones?
A Blueprint for Liberation - LESSONS FROM BlACK WOMe'S HiSTORY
Here’s how we disrupt the cycle:
1. Build Parallel Systems
Instead of trying to integrate into spaces not built for us, we invest in creating our own. Think mutual aid networks, cooperative tech ventures, and Black-owned platforms for commerce and storytelling.
2. Invest in Our Code
Coding bootcamps and STEM programs specifically for Black women aren’t just about tech skills—they’re about liberation. Every algorithm we write is a step toward autonomy.
3. Document Our Protocols
How many Graces, Katherines, and Fannies have been erased from the history books? Let’s create archives that refuse to let our contributions be forgotten.
4. Secure Our Networks
Community is infrastructure. By building strong, interconnected networks, we ensure that no one stands alone.
5. Compile New Possibilities
Innovation doesn’t come from patching old systems—it comes from imagining new ones. What if instead of trying to fix corporate DEI programs, we built businesses that didn’t require them?
The Threads That Hold Us
When I sit at my sewing machine, I feel connected to Grace Wisher and the millions of women who stitched, quilted, and mended for survival. When I write code, I imagine Katherine Johnson using math to defy gravity. Both acts remind me of the power of creation.
In 2025, with DEI programs under attack and systems unraveling, the message is clear: we cannot sew their flags anymore. But we can create new banners—ones that don’t wave over oppression but stand for liberation.
What if, instead of debugging America’s broken code, we wrote our own operating systems?
Let them figure out how to fix the systems they built to exclude us. We’ve got patterns to write, codes to compile, and futures to imagine.
Because pattern recognition isn’t just about seeing what’s broken—it’s about knowing when to walk away and start fresh.
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