AUSTIN, Texas — If you’ve driven past the construction site for the Tesla headquarters in Austin the past few weeks, you might have noticed a large sign and a man sitting next to it. 

What You Need To Know

  • Victor Reed is camping outside Tesla headquarters protesting the lack of diversity at the company

  • In 2020, Telsa reported only 4% of director level positions or higher were Black

  • U.S. Equal Economic Opportunity Commission found Black Americans made up just 7% of tech jobs in 2019

  • In a national survey of the top U.S. tech cities, Austin ranked last for diversity improvements in the last decade

Victor Reed is protesting the lack of diversity at Telsa and in the tech industry.

For weeks, he’s been camping day and night on the side of the road where construction crews are busy building the new billion-dollar Telsa manufacturing factory.

Numbers from the U.S. Equal Economic Opportunity Commission found Black Americans made up just 7% of tech jobs in 2019.

The tattered black sign reads, “Telsa, Google, Apple WTF Abt Blks.”  

Just like his sign, his activism is a little rough around the edges, which is how he likes it.

Tech jobs represent more than 16% of employment in Austin compared to around 9% nationally, according to the Austin Chamber of Commerce. In 2019, technology represented nearly 31% of new jobs. 

In a national survey of the top U.S. tech cities, Austin ranked last for diversity improvements in the last decade. 

Reed says the Black community in Austin has been left out, and he’s not budging until he gets what he came here for — a conversation with Elon Musk himself. 

“You can make a car that can drive itself, but you can’t solve the problems of the poor and the homeless and the people that don’t get jobs within our community. I just don’t believe that,” Reed said.

In 2020, Telsa reported only 4% of director level positions or higher were Black. 

The diversity report didn’t break down the percentage for all employees, but claimed 12% of new hires were Black. 

Those statistics are why this contractor is giving up food, shelter and his most lucrative season to sit by the highway in the hopes his sign draws attention to the issue. 

“These companies have been seen and their diversity reports, their own diversity reports, told them they’re not up to par with what they supposed to be doing for the Black people, the disenfranchised, the poor,” he said. “We can’t let that continue.”

Founder of “Black Women in Business,” Rose Smith stopped by to thank Reed. The entrepreneur has spent her career advocating for women of color. She says no matter how unconventional, Reed’s activism is commendable. 

“It takes radicals to get people moving. It takes people saying things that people won’t say to make people change,” Smith said. 

Reed says his sign has sparked dozens of conversations from passersby, and in some cases, uncomfortable conversations.

Reed said one white man’s curiosity turned into a confrontation when Reed asked him to comment on his sign, however, he was dismissed. 

“Them the dudes that keep racism in America,” Reed stated. 

So, while he might not change everyone’s mind, Reed says he is determined to change the world, no matter how long he has to wait.