Pearl Cohort 4  ·  Farwest Region  ·  2025–2026 Capstone Project

BIAS BY DESIGN

AI Hiring, Job Security, and Economic Inequities
in Communities of Color

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

332
Survey Respondents
49.2%
Automated Rejection Rate
87%
Low Confidence in Existing Law
113K
Jobs Lost by Black Women in 2025
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About This Study

The Problem in Two Names

We did not read about this problem. We went to our community and asked 332 Black professionals to name it with us. What they told us was not surprising — but it was devastating.

I submitted my resumé under my legal name, ‘Jahleeka.’ Despite my qualifications and endorsement by a senior executive, I received an immediate rejection. I resubmitted the exact same resumé, changing only one detail: my name. This time it read ‘Julie.’ The response was swift and enthusiastic. The only difference was the cultural signal carried by my name.

— Jahleeka Morris-Jones, President, Pearl Cohort 4
N ≈ 332
Survey Respondents
73.4%
Hold Graduate Degrees
Mixed Methods
Quant + 4 Qualitative Interviews
CRT
Critical Race Theory Framework

We approached this as a civil rights problem, not a technology problem. Our theoretical framework — Critical Race Theory — gave us three tools for naming what happens when AI screens out Black candidates while claiming neutrality.

01 Permanence of Racism

Racism is not a problem technology can solve. A company can update its software and still operate a hiring system that never surfaces a single Black applicant for human review.

02 Interest Convergence

Equity tends to get prioritized when it serves the institution. Meaningful inclusion rarely arrives until it becomes profitable, legally necessary, or good for brand perception.

03 Race as Socially Constructed & Encoded

When an algorithm evaluates “professionalism,” it measures proximity to white, middle-class norms — and penalizes distance from it. The outcome is racial, even when the language is not.

Five Key Findings

What Our Community Told Us

332 Black professionals named five patterns that emerge when AI enters the hiring process. These are not glitches. They are a system working exactly as designed.

49.2%
The “Black Hole” — Automated Rejection

Received automated rejections so fast, no human could have reviewed their application. “Within minutes of submitting, I received an email rejection... AI was used to filter and reject my application for a position that was a great fit.”

43.3%
Identity Erasure & Resumé Whitening

Feel pressured to erase cultural markers — HBCU affiliations, Delta Sigma Theta membership, ethnic names, DEIA work — to survive automated screening. This is not a personal choice. It is structural coercion.

60.4%
The Arms Race — Gaming the System

Engage in keyword stuffing or AI-tailored language always or often just to be seen. “I actually use ChatGPT to assist... I don’t feel a real sense of professional identity.”

32.2%
The Digital Ceiling — Blocked Mobility

Report AI ranked them lower despite qualifications — including for roles they already held. “I received an automated response that I did not meet the minimum requirements for a position I currently held at a different location.”

38.7%
Algorithmic Burnout

Report increased emotional burnout specifically tied to AI-driven hiring platforms. The invisible, automated nature of rejection makes it nearly impossible to process, challenge, or grieve.

87%
No Faith in Existing Law

Express low confidence that existing employment law protects them from AI discrimination. 87.9% consider human judgment in hiring essential or very important, while 71.8% believe that involvement has decreased as AI expanded.

2025 Economic Crisis

The Numbers Behind the Pattern

AI doesn’t just block the door — it follows you inside and blocks the elevator. Federal data from 2025 tells a devastating story.

113,000
Fewer jobs for Black women by year-end 2025 compared to the start of the year
300,000+
Black women pushed entirely out of the workforce in just February through April 2025
>30%
Drop in federal employment for Black women, versus 11.6% for all women
>50%
Of all women’s job losses absorbed by Black women — who are just 14% of the labor force

College-educated Black women saw the steepest employment decline of any educational category measured. The degree did not protect them. The algorithm did not honor it.

Community Demands

What Our Community Requires

Our community is not simply raising concerns — they are naming precisely what must change. These are demands, not wishes.

Increased Human Review & Oversight65.6%
Greater Transparency in Hiring Decisions55.7%
Independent Bias Audits51.4%
Stronger Government Regulation46.1%
Access to Digital Skills Training28.8%

Strategic Recommendations to National Leadership

Three Calls to Action for Delta

Based on our research, Pearl Cohort 4 presents three strategic recommendations to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. national leadership — aligned with the Five-Point Programmatic Thrust.

01
Delta AI Equity Advocacy Platform
Technology civil rights is the defining arena of the 21st century.
  • Advocate for federal & state legislation requiring algorithmic transparency and independent bias audits
  • Partner with the EEOC and civil rights organizations on enforceable AI non-discrimination standards
  • Participate in legal cases involving algorithmic employment discrimination
  • Position Delta as the leading organizational voice in technology civil rights advocacy
02
Delta Digital Equity Initiative (DDEI)
AI literacy is not a luxury. For our communities, it is a survival skill.
  • National AI literacy curriculum — Beginner through Advanced — via chapter programming
  • Partnerships with Google, Coursera, and MIT OpenCourseWare for Delta-branded free pathways
  • Delta AI Mentor Network connecting Black technologists with community members
  • Annual Digital Equity Summit sharing research and advocacy strategies across regions
03
Black AI Design Table
If we are not in the room when these systems are built, our exclusion gets encoded.
  • Annual convening of Black technologists, AI ethicists, community members, and policymakers
  • Community review and input on emerging AI hiring tools before they are deployed at scale
  • Publish annual ‘State of AI Equity’ reports grounded in community data
  • Create pipelines from HBCUs into AI design and governance roles at major tech companies

Free AI Micro-Learning

Learn AI at Every Level

From “what even is AI?” to building your own agents — these 20 curated videos are free, real, and organized by where you are right now. No tech background required to start.

📚 Start here if: You’ve heard about AI but aren’t sure what it actually is or how it works. No prior knowledge needed. These videos explain everything in plain English.
What is AI?
What Is Artificial Intelligence? Key Concepts Explained
A clear, jargon-free breakdown of what AI actually is, how it’s different from regular software, and why it matters for your career and daily life.
What is an LLM?
What Is a Large Language Model (LLM) & How Do They Work?
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — they’re all large language models. This video explains what that means in plain terms anyone can understand.
How AI Thinks
But What Is a Neural Network? — 3Blue1Brown
The clearest visual explanation of how neural networks — the engine behind modern AI — actually learn. Beautiful animations, zero jargon.
Prompt Engineering
Google's AI Course for Beginners — Jeff Su
A fast, practical walkthrough of Google's free AI course — what prompting actually is, how to get better results, and how to start using AI tools effectively today.
What is an AI Agent?
Sam Altman on AI Agents & the Future of AI — TED 2025
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks at TED 2025 about AI agents, superintelligence, and what the next few years will bring. Essential context for understanding where AI is headed and why it matters for your career.
📚 Start here if: You understand AI basics and want to use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini more effectively in your everyday personal and professional life.
Getting Started
How I’d Learn AI in 2024 — The Roadmap
The exact roadmap to follow if you’re starting AI from scratch — what to learn first, what to skip, and how to build real skills instead of just playing with tools.
Productivity
How to Use AI to Research Anything Faster
Learn how to use AI tools to research topics, summarize documents, and gather information in a fraction of the time — a critical skill for any professional.
Writing & Communication
How to Use AI to Write Better Emails, Reports & Documents
Practical techniques for using AI to draft, edit, and polish professional writing — while keeping your authentic voice intact.
AI & Bias
How AI Can Be Racist — Algorithmic Bias Explained
A clear, accessible explanation of how AI systems perpetuate racial bias — directly relevant to the research in this capstone. Watch this to understand the “why” behind our findings.
Daily Use
10 AI Tools That Will Change How You Work
A curated look at the most useful AI tools across writing, research, scheduling, and design — with practical demos showing how to use each one.
📚 Start here if: You’re comfortable with AI basics and want to apply it strategically — to protect your career, advance in your field, or grow a business or side project.
Job Search
Use ChatGPT to Find a Job — Proven Prompts for Smart Job Seekers
Practical, step-by-step prompts for using AI to optimize your resume for ATS systems, write targeted cover letters, and prepare for interviews — all to navigate the very algorithms our research exposed.
Small Business
AI for Small Business Owners — Beginner to Practical
From marketing to customer service to daily operations — a practical guide for small business owners who want to use AI to compete without a big budget or tech background.
Career Protection
Future-Proof Your Career in the Age of AI
An honest, research-backed look at which roles and industries are most at risk, and exactly which skills to build right now to stay competitive and irreplaceable in an AI-powered economy.
Nonprofits & Orgs
How Mission-Driven Organizations Can Use AI
Specifically relevant to sororities, civic organizations, and community groups — practical uses of AI for outreach, communications, event coordination, and advancing your mission.
Advanced Prompting
Prompt Engineering Full Course — Intermediate to Advanced
Go beyond basic prompts. Learn chain-of-thought, role prompting, and structured output techniques that dramatically improve what you get from any AI tool.
Close the Digital Divide — Free Platforms & Courses

Everything below is free or free-to-audit. No credit card. No coding background required. These are the platforms most trusted by educators, workforce developers, and community organizations to help close the digital equity gap.

Google Career Certificates
IT Support, Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design — all free on Coursera with financial aid
grow.google/certificates
Google Digital Garage
Free courses on digital marketing, data, career development, and AI fundamentals with certificates
learndigital.withgoogle.com
Microsoft Learn & AI Skills
Free AI Fundamentals certification, Azure AI training, and Office 365 AI tools — self-paced
learn.microsoft.com/ai
LinkedIn Learning (Free Trial)
AI for HR, prompt engineering, data literacy, and career courses — free 1-month trial, then check your local library for free access
linkedin.com/learning
IBM SkillsBuild (Free)
AI Fundamentals, data science, and cybersecurity courses with free IBM digital badges and certificates
skillsbuild.org
Khan Academy (Free)
AI literacy, computer science, and digital skills for absolute beginners — completely free, forever
khanacademy.org/computing/ai
Coursera (Audit Free)
Audit thousands of AI, data, and tech courses from Yale, Stanford, and Google — free without certificate
coursera.org
Grow with Google — Jobseeker Hub
Resume builder, interview practice, and job search tools powered by Google AI — specifically designed for career changers and job seekers
grow.google
📚 Start here if: You’re ready to go technical — build your own tools, automate workflows, create AI agents, or develop apps and websites using AI. Some coding familiarity is helpful but not always required.
Build an Agent
What Is AI? — Explained Simply for Non-Tech People
A clear, jargon-free explanation of AI designed for people who feel intimidated by tech talk — a great first watch before diving into the advanced technical videos.
Build a Website
How to Build a Full Website Using AI — No Code Required
Learn how to use AI tools to design, build, and launch a professional website from scratch — without writing a single line of code.
Learn to Code AI
Let's Build GPT — Andrej Karpathy (Advanced)
The definitive advanced video: Andrej Karpathy (former OpenAI) walks through building a GPT language model from scratch. Essential viewing for anyone who wants to deeply understand how the AI behind ChatGPT actually works.
Open Source AI
Getting Started with Hugging Face — Open Source AI Models
Hugging Face is the GitHub of AI. Learn how to access, test, and deploy open-source AI models — including the tools that power hiring systems you interact with daily.
Automation
Build AI Automation Workflows with Make & ChatGPT
Connect AI tools together to automate repetitive tasks across email, spreadsheets, social media, and more. A practical guide to becoming genuinely more efficient.

Pearl Cohort 4

Who We Are

We are presidents, executives, advisors, state facilitators, educators, advocates, and community builders. But more than any title — we are women who care deeply about our community and the outsized impact that technology is having on our most vulnerable. We saw what was happening. We heard the stories. And we decided to do something about it.

Pearl Cohort 4 — Farwest Region Capstone Presentation 2026

Pearl Cohort 4 — Farwest Region Capstone Presentation, 2026

OUR PEARLS

Jahleeka Morris-Jones
President
Joycelyn Durk
Pearl
Addie Hicks, PhD
Pearl
Ainye Long
Pearl
Dominique Crawford
Pearl
Jessica Nolan
Pearl
Lisa Cobb
Pearl
Michelle Mooney
Pearl
Nya Berry
Pearl
Sharifa Sparks
Pearl
Sharmian Mims
Pearl
Sharon Dupree
Pearl
Stephanie Davis-Carruth, PhD
Pearl
Tinnetta Thompson, Esq.
Pearl
Whitney Mason
Pearl
Pearl Program Co-Chairs

Soror Tracy Aikens
Soror Jeanetta Minix

Capstone Advisors

Soror Morgan LaRoyce
Soror Redohna Means
Soror Vanessa Keith Garcia
Soror Theresa Woodridge-Ofori
Soror Danielle Fluker
Soror Kimberly Pringle

Organization

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Farwest Region
2025–2026

Take Action

Resources & Next Steps

Everything below is free. Start with whatever feels most relevant to where you are right now.

Free AI Learning

Community & Advocacy

Know Your Rights

Essential Reading

The Technology Boardroom Must Be No Different

Algorithmic bias is not an accident.

It is the architecture of a world that was not designed with us in mind. Our task — as Delta women, as scholars, as community leaders, and as advocates — is to redesign it.

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