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In June 2020, financial institutions nationwide committed a record-breaking $4.2 billion to racial equity. Nonprofits directly received $300 million, representing 51% of total donation volume that month. However just six months later, funding for racial equity fell to 5% of the donation share. Now three years later, while energy has further slowed, racial justice remains a top concern across demographics. We know nonprofits steered by Black leaders and people of color are best positioned to drive racial equity. However, it’s simply not enough for corporate funders looking to affirm their values to financially empower BIPOC leaders. To properly equip nonprofit leaders, financial institutions and other corporate funders must embrace a two-pronged approach of capital and capacity building. One of the most effective interventions in capacity-building for BIPOC-led nonprofits lies in technology. Seventy-four percent of nonprofits say digital transformation is a need-to or must-have, yet...
Groundbreaking treatment has officially been conducted in a recent case of HIV. NBC News reports that an American research group may have cured HIV in a woman for the first time ever. Now, the patient has entered a rare club made up of three men who have been cured, or close to being cured, of the disease. Building on past success within the field of HIV research, scientists were able to use a cutting-edge stem cell transplant method anticipated to expand across more patients with HIV in the foreseeable future. With this huge leap toward a cure for a disease that has plagued the U.S. since 1981, the director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Carl Dieffenbach, notes that the latest progression “continues to provide hope.”
Travis Hunter, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, recently made an announcement that shook up the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). On Dec. 15, the Rivals.com player made the decision to commit to playing for historically Black Jackson State University over Florida State University, Yahoo Sports reports. Hunter made the announcement official with sporting Jackson State gear during his decision ceremony at his high school. The moment Travis Hunter made his decision to flip to Jackson State (Via @11AliveNews ) pic.twitter.com/pbNv6ojCy1 — Rivals (@Rivals) December 15, 2021 Prior to the unexpected signing move, the Georgia native was verbally committed to Florida State since March 2020. Now, Hunter will join football legend and Florida State alum Deion Sanders. According to a Twitter post by Bean Invest, Hunter’s switch reportedly may have secured him a multi-million dollar deal. 🚨BREAKING🚨 Barstool Sports and Penn National Gaming have reached a deal with the #1 high school...
One of the most decorated gymnasts ever and one of the greatest Olympic athletes has ended her massive powerhouse deal with Nike. Simone Biles has announced that she’s officially ending her six-year Nike endorsement deal to enter a new apparel partnership with Athleta, which she believes will more closely align with her personal values, Wall Street Journal reports. “I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements, it’s what I stood for and how they were going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids,” she told Wall Street Journal in response to what attracted her to Athleta. “I feel like they also support me, not just as an athlete, but just as an individual outside of the gym and the change that I want to create, which is so refreshing.” According to the news outlet, Biles’s new deal with Athleta will include her own performance wear line, as well as other sponsorship opportunities where the brand will offer the gymnast a platform to participate in”honest...
Northwestern Mutual’s latest investment is one that we could all possibly benefit from. Zirtue — the world’s first and only relationship-based lending app — has received a huge investment from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures. Northwestern Mutual’s corporate venture capital fund investment combined with Zirtue’s seed round brings the fintech startup company’s total amount raised to $4 million. Other investment funds include Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, the Jaylon Smith Minority Entrepreneurship Institute Capital Fund, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, plus more. The funds will be used to not only grow the team but also add product offerings. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Zirtue In an effort to further its commitment to accelerating financial technology startups, Northwestern Mutual is committed to working with startups like Zirtue, which are focused on historically underbanked and underfunded populations. They are also committed to investing in Black founded...
Google has been investing a lot of its focus into artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the past few years, but it’s falling short on the management level to bring its ideas to fruition. The company claims to be “advancing AI for everyone,” yet it can’t seem to get the diversity and inclusion aspect of this down. “At its heart, AI is computer programming that learns and adapts. It can’t solve every problem, but its potential to improve our lives is profound,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post . “At Google, we use AI to make products more useful—from email that’s spam-free and easier to compose , to a digital assistant you can speak to naturally , to photos that pop the fun stuff out for you to enjoy.” Despite its seemingly good intentions to break more into AI, Google employees have been very critical about the company’s AI investments from the start. Back in June 2018, according to Forbes, more than 3,000 employees signed a petition in protest against...
As schools across the nation reopen online and in person, most syllabi will likely discuss current events from COVID-19 to the Black Lives Matter protests. However, revising the accuracy of African American history texts in school curriculums is often met with resistance. Less than a month ago, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) even proposed a bill to stop the New York Times’ “1619 Project” from being adopted into school curriculums. As a result one mother and educator, Dr. Sheva Quinn has made it her mission to facilitate transparent conversations surrounding African American history from slavery to modern times. Dr. Quinn created a free online Black history course in 2015 so youth could learn about race in America from educators that looked like them. One white mother told NBC that she enrolled her Black child into the course so they could learn things that she does not feel equipped to teach. Quinn says the course is designed to help students learn why organizations like Black Lives...
The Pulitzer Prize is the most esteemed honor for journalists and the arts. The annual ceremony recognizes those who have displayed excellence in 21 different categories. The 2020 winners were announced via video stream for the first time in history after a two-week postponement while board members further deliberated amid covering the coronavirus pandemic, Forbes reported . How @PulitzerPrizes celebrations look during a pandemic pic.twitter.com/pxGdVvaoND — Travis Lyles (@travislylesnews) May 4, 2020 This year, notable Black figures in literature, journalism, and music composition were honored for the excellence they demonstrated in their work. It isn’t often that we get to celebrate Black excellence in this capacity. However, these Black writers, journalists, and this composer that was honored gives us a reason to salute our own community for the great accomplishments we’re able to achieve. Read the list below to find out more about this year’s winners. Ida B. Wells Photo...
Launching a startup requires money, and no matter how much you’ve saved, you’re probably going to need more. In today’s startup market, seeking venture capital (VC) funding seems like the best way to raise money especially because VC firms often offer large checks and access to valuable resources that startups need. However, VC funding comes with strings. Investors will take equity from your business in exchange for that big fat check, and you might lose operational control over your company. However, there’s some good news; VC funding may not be your only option. Crowdfunding is a great way to raise large quantities of cash without sacrificing equity. However, not all crowdfunding campaigns are successful. Here are some commonalities among some of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns: Planning They say luck is where preparation meets opportunity. Technically you could throw up a campaign with a few lines and a picture and hope for the best. However, the most successful...
This year marks 400 years since African arrival in the United States in 1619. The “Year of the Return” is being celebrated across the world, particularly in Ghana, which has seen a recent influx of American tourism. For some, a return to Ghana has taken on a new meaning, as evidenced by the more than 125 new citizens residing in the country . From actor Boris Kudjoe’s December appearance on ABC’s “The View” in honor of “ The 1619 Project ,” to rapper Cardi B performing there, Ghana has been swarming with visitors. However, many African Americans — and many Ghanaian-born ones — are coming to the country not just to visit, but to live. They are bringing a different set of skills and business tools from the American economy to the motherland, and Ghana is responding with open arms. “ The climate in Ghana is ripe for entrepreneurs to fill potholes, add traffic lights and digitize tax returns, among other business moves, ” Ghanaian-born business owner Kojo Terry Oppong — who moved from...