If you’ve been tapped in to the world of business news in recent months, you’re likely well aware that DEI measures are firmly on the chopping block, thanks to the Trump administration . The DEI framework, which seeks to support diversity, equity and inclusion within the workplace, has been an invaluable tool in the national marketplace to ensure that those in marginalized communities are given a fair shot at employment and upward mobility. Much like other social programs, such as affirmative action, DEI has been integral to the success of disabled individuals, underprivileged youths and those who identify as part of the LGBTQ community . Unfortunately, a powerful minority of fringe right-wing lawmakers have taken issue with DEI initiatives and have maligned the entire practice as discriminatory. Since the newly established White House cabinet has become so dead-set on eliminating DEI measures across the board, legal requirements for fair hiring practices have already been stripped...

The number of Black-owned businesses has increased. However, there is still much room for improvement. According to a research study released by the online loan marketplace LendingTree, the data reveals a 22.2% year-over-year increase since 2019. Looking back to 2022, just 3.3% of businesses were Black-owned , and 40% were women-owned. Other trends highlighted in the report show that Atlanta, GA, remains the primary hub for Black-owned businesses. The city has held this distinction for the past three years, with 11.3% of Black-owned businesses traced back to it. Other key cities identified in the report include Fayetteville, NC, Virginia Beach, VA, and Memphis, TN. Conversely, California cities such as San Jose, Oxnard, and San Diego ranked lowest in the number of Black-owned businesses. “When I initially started my entrepreneur journey, there weren’t very many Black founders,” Tiffany Ricks, chief executive of the cybersecurity platform HacWarhe, told Inc. “Now it’s exciting...

Ohio’s only Black-owned bank — and the first established and approved in the U.S. since 2000 — has tripled its assets since inception. Columbus Business Journal reports Adelphi Bank was founded in January 2023 and is led by Chairman and CEO Jordan Miller, who had spent over three decades in business and initially retired in 2019 as Central Ohio president for Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Bank. He returned to the industry to get Adelphi up and running with a mission of dismantling financial inequities and helping customers create streams of income without bias. He is joined by Kevin Boyce, co-founder and vice chairman. Upon its launch, Adelphi received local support from large corporations in central Ohio. “It feels like family,” Miller expressed, according to the outlet. “Banks can be intimidating places.” Columbus-based Adelphi Bank currently offers certificates of deposit, checking and savings accounts, and loans for personal use. It plans to provide home mortgages in 2025. For...

February marks a pivotal moment in Black history, and one town in Maryland is celebrating with a record number of Black-owned businesses . Princess Anne, located in Somerset County, MD, and serving as its county seat, now boasts at least 25 Black-owned businesses in its town of fewer than 4,000 residents, according to WBOC-TV. “When I first moved to this area, I was told that the last known lynching was in Princess Anne, Maryland,” said business owner Leslie Coker, reflecting on the past. “That there is now 25 Black-owned businesses in a county that has less than 4,000 people, that’s phenomenal.” Coker runs the Dynamic Divas majorette dance company, one of the Black-owned businesses contributing to Princess Anne’s record-breaking milestone. Alongside Croker, business owner Dale Parker runs the Cropa Station restaurant with his partner, while Danae Ballard launched her salon, Alluring Looks by Danae, at just 21 years old. They all take pride in being part of a community representing...

Saquon Barkley has expanded his portfolio ahead of Super Bowl LIX, set for Feb. 9, 2025. The running back, wearing a No. 26 Philadelphia Eagles jersey, is heading to New Orleans, LA, to face the Kansas City Chiefs — a rematch of the 2022 Super Bowl matchup, ESNP reports. Barkley has combined his passion for sports and business and will be featured in a Super Bowl ad for Ramp, a financial operations platform that provides exclusive perks to over 30,000 customers. These perks include smart accounts payable, which processes bills in seconds, corporate cards, vendor management, procurement, travel booking, and automated bookkeeping. Customers have saved upwards of $2 billion through Ramp, CEO and Co-Founder Eric Glyman mentioned in a press release. For these reasons, Barkley is not only endorsing the company through the commercial but is now an investor in the platform, the press release reported. “I’ve always believed a winning mindset applies to every part of life. If you want to...

Daniel Penny has joined the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) in a move some critics view as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hire. David Ulevitch, a general partner at the top Silicon Valley investment firm, confirmed Penny’s hiring in an internal statement to The Free Press. He stated that Penny will “learn the business of investing and he will work to support our portfolio companies.” “We believe in Daniel and are excited to have him as part of our team,” Ulevitch said, per The Free Press. There has been criticism regarding Penny’s qualifications, with some perceiving his appointment as a political move after he avoided a 20-year prison sentence for the death of a homeless man. Following his acquittal last year, he was seen attending the Army vs. Navy football game as a guest of then-President-Elect Donald Trump. For this reason, the new hire may be painted as a public relations tactic for a16z rather than a hire based on merit, since Penny has no investing...

In a decision reflecting a broader trend in the corporate world, Google has eliminated its diversity-based hiring targets and quietly erased language relating to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from its annual report. This decision isn’t just a corporate policy update. This move aligns with a growing trend of companies scaling back public commitments to DEI in response to evolving legal and political pressures. The ripple effect of this change reaches far beyond Silicon Valley, raising urgent questions about the future of workplace diversity, corporate responsibility, and the very fabric of inclusive leadership in America. Google Shifts Away From DEI Metrics According to Reuters, Google’s move came after the company abandoned its diversity hiring goals, which were initially designed to foster a more inclusive workforce. The company cited the impact of recent court decisions and executive orders from the Trump administration as pivotal factors influencing this change. These...

Black inventors and entrepreneurs have played a crucial role in shaping industries, improving daily life, and driving technological advancements, often overcoming systemic barriers to bring their ideas to life. Despite facing discrimination and a lack of recognition, many Black inventors revolutionized everything from agriculture and medicine to transportation and communication. Their innovations continue to impact the world today, proving that ingenuity and perseverance can break through any obstacle. Garrett Morgan: Innovator Of Public Safety Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor whose creations have saved countless lives. Born in 1877, he is best known for developing the modern three-position traffic signal, which introduced a warning light between “stop” and “go,” significantly reducing accidents. This invention was later patented and sold to General Electric. Morgan also invented the gas mask, which he originally designed to protect firefighters from smoke inhalation. His...

Federal health workers are on high alert and feeling “paranoid” after a “DEI Watch List” began making its rounds on social media. According to NBC News, the website displays photos, names, and public information of several employees from health agencies — mostly Black workers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). At one point, the employees were referred to as “targets” before someone later changed the headline on each page to “dossiers.” Dictionary.com defines dossiers as documents about a particular person, event, or subject. While it is unclear when the website first emerged, NBC reports that it is circulating among various private group chats of federal health workers and through social media links. Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, learned of the website’s existence on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, after a federal health worker shared it with him. He described the acts of online harassment as...

Rick Ross was inspired to pursue business, following his mother’s entrepreneurial footsteps. The Mississippi-born rapper shot to fame with his 2006 breakout hit “Hustlin,” which led to him signing his first major record deal with JAY-Z at Def Jam, notes HipHopDX. “JAY-Z, I remember we went to eat after a game, and he was playing Rick Ross…‘Everyday I’m Hustlin,’” Former NBA player Jamal Crawford told Ross while they appeared on the “All The Smoke” podcast. “And Jay was mesmerized by the song. He was like, ‘Whip it, whip it real hard!’ He kept saying that part, he loved it.” Rick Ross became an overnight success and began prioritizing real estate as he accumulated his fortune, which is reportedly an estimated $150 million net worth today. According to Celebrity Net Worth, this encompasses $90 million earned from albums and singles, revenue from his record label Maybach Music Group (established in 2009), and other ventures. His decision to enter real estate dates back to his...

As the rollback and termination of diversity and inclusion initiatives continue, the fourth annual Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala successfully raised $3 million on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, to support black-owned businesses. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the event at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, CA, attracted many notable figures from culture and business, including Keke Palmer , Ciara, Kelly Rowland, Teyana Taylor, and Jesse Williams. Prominent artists such as Amy Sherald and Mickalene Thomas were also in attendance, along with CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Rachel Scott from Diotima; Tatcha founder Vicky Tsai; model Amber Valletta; and celebrity stylists Law Roach, Wayman Bannerman, and Micah McDonald. “This is exactly the time we need to show up and continue to speak out,” Fifteen Percent Pledge Founder Aurora James said at the gala, per WWD. “Each and every one of us, our stories, our pasts, our cultures and identities, are part of the fabric that makes America great....

Allen Iverson has made history in the world of memorabilia. Iverson is recognized as a legend in the NBA. He retired from the league in 2013 and was later inaugurated into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His name remains influential today, extending his impact beyond the court. The Virginia native currently serves as Vice President of Reebok Basketball (as of 2023), working alongside the President of Reebok Basketball, Shaquille O’Neal, to shape the next generation of the game. “We gonna do big things. We gon’ work hard. We gon’ give people what they want. We gonna take care of our youngsters,” he said in an interview uploaded to YouTube. Iverson’s involvement with Reebok also includes a lifetime deal. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he initially signed a 10-year deal valued at $50 million when he was drafted to the league, securing a spot with the Sixers. In 2001, he earned a lifetime deal after the team made its way to the finals and earned MVP. He now receives...

A judge is no longer considering retracting a multi-million-dollar award that rapper T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris were to receive from a lawsuit. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the couple sued children’s toy company MGA Entertainment Inc. for infringing upon the name, image, and likeness of their girl group, OMG Girlz. The group was created by T.I. and Tiny in 2009 and includes members Bahja Rodriguez (Miss Beauty), Breaunna Womack (Miss Babydoll), and their daughter Zonnique Pullins (Miss Star). Known for their colorful hair, makeup, and fashion looks, the group peaked in 2012 with their singles “Where The Boys At?” and “Gucci This (Gucci That).” MGA Entertainment Inc. released its ‘L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. (Outrageous Millennial Girls) Dolls in 2019, earning hundreds of millions of dollars in the process, and was recognized with the Toy Association’s Doll of the Year Award, notes American Bar Association (ABA). Some of its dolls, however, had closely resembled the OMG Girlz...

Alisa Bowens-Mercado is the proud owner of a beer company available across several states, FOX61 reports. Working as a salsa instructor for 16 years, Bowens-Mercado made the decision to venture into entrepreneurship. She was motivated by her grandmothers, Mary Pullen and Delores Bowens, “who were lager drinkers back in the 1970s, and because I would partake and enjoy some wonderful lagers,” she told the outlet. She also wanted to increase representation within the sector. “I knew that I needed to go into business so that I could amplify voices of color in this very male-dominated industry,” Bowens-Mercado explained. In November 2017, she launched Rhythm Brewing Co. in New Haven, CT, and made history as the state’s first Black woman-owned beer company. “I don’t take that lightly,” Bowens-Mercado told FOX61. “It’s because I have to continue to open up doors for the future. And so, if my journey and my mission can help anyone that wants to do something or go into an industry that you...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Last week, DeepSeek , a Chinese artificial intelligence company, upended the tech industry by debuting its AI chatbot. Since its debut, the stock market has taken a dive for other tech companies, and American investors are left with their heads spinning. Just as powerful as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, DeepSeek is built at a fraction of the cost. Its technology is open-source, which means it’s available to the public. It even reportedly requires less memory and energy than ChatGPT, reducing the cost of performing tasks. DeepSeek quickly became the most downloaded free app in the U.S., overtaking ChatGPT and causing AI chip-making giant Nvidia to decrease $600 billion in market value in one day on Jan. 27. DeepSeek has been able to power the app with a measly $6 million in comparison to the billions of dollars OpenAI has raised to train its own AI. DeepSeek’s CEO, Liang Wenfeng, has been able to do this with...