Twitter faces backlash over its new diversity lead

It`s safe to say that Twitter has a bit of an image problem when it comes to diversity -- and a recent hire to address those problems seems to be backfiring on the firm.

In recent months, the company has become a go-to example of the lack of diversity in the technology industry.

Sixty percent of the company`s employees are white; that jumps to 72 percent when looking at leadership roles.

Overall, fewer than 2 percent of Twitter`s employees are black, and none are in leadership roles.

While it`s true that many major tech companies have similar diversity statistics, but Twitter`s numbers stand out because so many of its users are black. And the disparity between the company and its users has not gone unnoticed.

To address some of those issues, Twitter announced that it has hired a new vice president for diversity and inclusion, Jeffery Siminoff.

The fifty-year-old replaces Janet Van Huysse, and comes from a similar role at Apple.

He is known for his extensive work with Out Leadership - a group dedicated to demonstrating how equality in general makes for good business, with a particular focus on LGBT executives.

He was also named in a TechCrunch piece identifying "10 Men Making Waves for Women in Tech."

But he`s also a white man — something that hasn`t been lost on those who`ve repeatedly criticized the tech industry at large for its lack of diversity.

Many argue that Twitter`s largely white and male workforce keep it from seeing community issues with its product.

For example, Twitter has faced the issue of harassment of women on its service, and has reacted to outside criticism from women`s groups — the company, in fact, updated its guidelines Wednesday to strongly decry such behavior.

When it comes to racial diversity, however, the company had made fewer visible efforts to answer criticism.

Siminoff`s appointment has not sat well with many, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others who have repeatedly highlighted the need for a greater focus on racial diversity at the company.

"Blacks and Latinos over-index on using Twitter, but their board of directors and C-suite leadership remain all white," Jackson told USA Today. "Jeff has a big mountain to climb, a tough task ahead. We hope him and Twitter’s leadership is up to the challenge."