The Stock Photo Diversity Problem: Be the Change
Unconscious bias is a very real thing, and if you’re not paying attention, you become part of the problem. As a business owner, website owner, and human, it’s up to you to be the change you want to see in the world, as a thought leader in your community.
Websites, typically, utilize stock photography. Whether it’s for blogging, course sales, or social media, we rely on stock photography to define our business aesthetic and visuals. Oftentimes, the graphics don’t include people, and are instead landscape photos, desk shots, mockups, or botanicals.
But did you know that blog posts and content perform better when a human is in them?
We humans love to see other humans and relate to them. However, the next fact isn’t as fun:
Women, especially women of color, make up a very small percentage of the tech workforce.
“Women make up 47 percent of all employed adults in the U.S., but as of 2015, they hold only 25 percent of computing roles, according to data from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). Of the 25 percent of women working in tech, Asian women make up just 5 percent of that number, while black and Hispanic women accounted for 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.”
This is not acceptable. A part of the problem with women of color in tech is representation. Young women of color don’t see themselves as a part of the narrative, and so they don’t strive for those positions.
Let’s change that. Make people, especially women, of color a part of your business, show them in your resources, in your blogs and posts, and provide the representation that’s sorely needed.
We’re going to make it easy for you: here are 3 FREE stock sites that prioritize people of color, and two great subscription based sites.
“And that’s why we launched nappy; to provide beautiful, high-res photos of black and brown people to startups, brands, agencies, and everyone else. Nappy makes it easy for companies to be purposeful about representation in their designs, presentations, and advertisements.”
#WOCinTech
FREE
A fantastic library of women in tech. These photos are traditional, Fintech and Start-Up looking photos that typically feature white men in suits. Not anymore. These photos have also been integrated into Unsplash, so if you’re using that Squarespace integration, be sure to search for these!
Picnoi
FREE
Another collection of people of color in stock photography, completely FREE. These offer a range of artistic and breathtaking photos.
TONL
$25/photo or $29/mo for 15 photos
A huge collection of stock photography, where you can also easily find what you need by browsing their categories. Be sure to support for a month or two, as the monthly plan is priced well.
Styled Stock Society
$75 per quarter for unlimited downloads - a STEAL!
I was stunned when I got a complementary subscription to Styled Stock Society as a part of a larger course bundle. When I started browsing the photos, I noticed something interesting…there were a lot of women of color featured in photos. This is extremely rare in stock sites like this! In fact, I was so excited that I immediately downloaded several bundles featuring women of color, and have even started using them across my social media.
So you can see, there’s no excuse to having a lack of diversity in your brand materials. The resources are free and plentiful, so it’s up to us to use them and provide visuals for the rest of the workforce to see. The more we add diversity in our businesses, the better representation for everyone.
Also, if you can, please consider donating:
https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/
References:
https://www.cio.com/article/3516012/women-in-tech-statistics-the-hard-truths-of-an-uphill-battle.html
https://medium.com/@Hellotoya9/beautiful-stock-photos-of-people-of-color-for-free-40933dff2cac
https://www.allure.com/story/black-lives-matter-where-to-donate
