Sherrell Dorsey Releases Her Debut Book, Upper Hand: The Future of Work
Acclaimed Data Journalist Sherrell Dorsey Releases Her Debut Book,
Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us
This Resource Guide Aims to Help Black, Brown, and Other Communities of Color
Navigate the New World of Work
ATLANTA – (January 25, 2022) Black and Brown communities are often left out of critical conversations about innovation and technology. Data journalist, tech founder, and professional speaker Sherrell Dorsey seeks to change that narrative with her first book, Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us. In Upper Hand, Dorsey provides an insightful resource guide with personal stories and case studies to help marginalized communities of color navigate the new world of work so that they are not left behind as the role of technology increases in society – impacting economic growth and educational opportunities for those who are in the most need.
“I grew up in Rainier Beach, Seattle’s inner city, in a single-parent household, surrounded by geniuses who knew how to make something out of nothing,” says Dorsey. “When my grandfather bought computers for me and my cousin, he unlocked possibilities and a future through the world of technology. Communities like the one I came from are rarely asked about innovation and opportunity. We’re not asked about how our role in technology and the future of work shape the world. And we’re often not called genius.”
Dorsey, who is the visionary behind The Plug, a news and business intelligence platform covering the Black innovation economy, wrote Upper Hand specifically for Black, Latinx, and other marginalized families to hold conversations on how they will enter into the future of work and shape the communities they want to see in the future.
"Upper Hand is a long-overdue call-to-action that centers communities of color in the future of work by an entrepreneur that has done the work to ensure Black and Brown voices are visible when we think about the future of business,” explains Arlan Hamilton, Founder of BackStage Capital, Author of It's About Damn Time.“The industry at large can take notes about how to ensure underestimated communities are not left behind."
Upper Hand explores how those who have been historically left out of the conversation can prepare and benefit from this burgeoning tech economy that heavily influences all aspects of society. Yet, in an industry dominated by Silicon Valley-rooted technologies and inaccessible networks, there never seems to be a seat at the table for Black and Brown people. Or any real opportunities for success. This book was created to:
help families and community leaders design clear pathways to understanding alternatives to obsolescence
thrive in an ever-changing, tech-driven economy that is beginning to leave people of color behind
embrace new strategies that guarantee a place for Black and brown people in the new economy
“On the one hand, Upper Hand reminds us of the many ways that black and brown folk have always pushed the cutting edge of technological innovation, whether that takes the form of hardware, software or transforming spaces of life and work in the pursuit of our own happiness,” says Charlton McIlwain, Vice Provost for Faculty Engagement and Development (NYU Center for Faculty Advancement) and Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. “Perhaps more importantly, the book offers the world a powerful vision of the future where the capacity to aspire, the space to imagine, the freedom to create, and the opportunity to realize dreams are the norm for the rest of us.”
Upper Hand is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For appearances, media inquiries, and interview requests with Sherrell Dorsey, contact Jameka Whitten via email at jameka@jswmediagroup.com or call 704.965.3297.
About Sherrell Dorsey
Sherrell Dorsey is an American data journalist and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of The Plug — a distinctive, Black tech news and insights platform covering Black innovators in tech, venture capital, future of work policy, and more. Sherrell has grown the venture-backed media startup to thousands of subscribers, several hundred paid members and raised over $500,000 in equity-free capital. Sherrell holds a Master’s in Data Journalism from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s in International Trade and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She served as the 2020-2021 entrepreneur-in-residence fellow of Northwestern University's Medill / Garage program. www.sherrelldorsey.com
