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Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...
Many singing shows have come and gone since American Idol was in its prime, but few contestants have made as much of an impact without actually winning as Jennifer Hudson. You might recall the Chicago native from season three of the reality series, where she quickly won over the hearts of audiences with her stellar vocals and down-to-earth energy. Much to the viewers’ surprise, Hudson was voted out early in the competition, but she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing her dreams. Instead, Jennifer Hudson’s net worth is now in the multimillions thanks to her decades of dedication to her craft . The mother of one is the youngest of three on her maternal side but found out as a teenager that her absent father was responsible for 26 other children. She was only seven when she took an interest in singing in the church choir, and it was her grandmother, Julia, who encouraged Hudson to get involved in community theater. She’s cited Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle and the late Aretha...
Women-led hair startup Parfait continues to champion Black women. As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, Parfait is reportedly the first to integrate facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide buyers with customizable wig products. It previously raised $5 million in April 2022, backed by a funding round led by Upfront Ventures and Serena Ventures. “It’s widely understood that facial recognition systems perform less well for women and people of color,” said Parfait Co-Founder Isoken Igbinedion, a former Target and Amazon executive . “Training models used in facial recognition technology are largely unbalanced, often relying on training datasets that are similar in makeup, and do not represent the visual composition of faces worldwide. This often results in poor performance for users who do not fit into that dataset, often represented by white faces and male features.” She continued, “Parfait seeks to be the first to make major progress in improving product and service...
There should be no barriers to education. This principle is what led the Northwestern Prison Education Program (NPEP) to help 16 individuals behind bars in Stateville Correctional Center to obtain their bachelor’s degree. CNBC reports that the NPEP was established in 2018 to create a better future for incarcerated students in prisons, jails, and youth centers in Illinois. According to its website, participants can engage in four educational programs, including four-to-six-week college-ready courses as well as full bachelor’s degree paths.
The NBA Finals may have ended when Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to victory to clinch his fourth championship, but the league’s all-stars are still active. Leveraging their work from the all-star game hosted in Cleveland, OH, earlier this year, the NBA Foundation partnered with Black Girl Ventures (BGV) to host its first-ever pitch competition. The joint programming was available to college-aged entrepreneurs from HBCUs across the nation. Hosted on June 17, seven participants presented their business ideas in front of a panel of judges that included Cleveland Cavilers head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, and notable HBCU alumni. The college entrepreneurs were a part of BGV’s NextGen Program, a grantee of the NBA Foundation. The NextGen program aims to create access to capital and necessary resources for success aimed at student entrepreneurs, who are ages 18-24. Daa’iyah Fogle of Claflin University and Malcolm Lee of Virginia Union University tied for first place among the...
Women’s History Month may have concluded, but Black Girl Magic is still alive and well. Shannon Jackson made history in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, NE by opening Heavi Hitters – the first Black fully woman-owned and operated barbershop . “We’re all different ethnicities, and we’re all women,” said Alia Jackson, a cosmetologist and professional makeup artist. “It’s given our clients, a different perspective of life, being in a male-dominated world,” hairstylist Ayanna Carfield said. According to local news outlet , KETV 7, the full-service barbershop has seen consistent growth since opening in 2019. Because of that rapid growth, Heavi Hitters ran out of space, which led to their move to their current spot-on Maple Street in the Benson community. Jackson and her team of cosmetologists are making sure that their space is inclusive for all no matter their background. This level of inclusivity is seen even in the type of services that Heavi Hitters offers. Heavi Hitters is not your...
Beauty platform Fyyne just hit the market. The ideation of Fyyne was created by Jeffrey Fasegha alongside Al-Ameen Ogundiran and Olu Olubanjo. Fasegha reveals while playing semi-pro hockey at his university, finding a reputable hairstylist for his hair type was increasingly difficult. He soon recognized fewer technologies in the beauty space were a perpetuating factor leading to less visibility for Black hair artists. Fasegha confirms many artists were using text or direct messages as their primary mode of contact for customers. “As a former semi-pro hockey player, it was impossible for me to find a barber who could cut my hair when I was moving from one town to another every other week. I had to grow my hair out and wait to go back home before I could get a cut,” said Jeffrey Fasegha, Co-founder and CEO of Fyyne, according to a press release. “When I moved to Toronto for university, I was literally stopping people on the street to ask them where they got their hair done. It took me...
It looks like there might just be a plant-based version of everything these days, including hair! Rebundle — a hair-focused startup based in St. Louis founded by Danielle Washington and Ciara Imani May — just announced that it raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round, according to TechCrunch. The company creates and sells hair extensions made exclusively from plant-based materials. Now, it’s on its way to shaking up the hair game one plant-based hair extension at a time.
Chanel E. Martin is a force in the entrepreneurial world. At an early age, Chanel E. Martin recalls having two passions in the world of theatre and business. One passion has proven to be a long-term fixation as the former Georgia Tech student has grown to become the leading face of Kingdom Business Network. Before the launch of the faith-based network, Chanel E. Martin was a chemical engineer who became interested in deciphering the best methods for the hair and skin of people of color. In 2013, she became a co-founder of Myavana, a web and mobile-based platform using scientific analysis for Black hair care. While serving at Myavana , Chanel learned the entrepreneurial ropes to establish a successful company.
Alopecia is a prominent issue affecting Black women at staggering rates. Despite the difficulties the autoimmune disease can bring to many, six-year-old Deléna Thompson decided to empower other children who have endured similar struggles. In a soul-stirring tale, Thompson has released an illustrated book titled “I Am Not My Hair” as an ode to children across the world to remind them “even though I don’t have any hair, I am still me,” Metro.co.uk reports. Thompson first learned about her diagnosis after her mother Telena Longmore found a small area on her scalp was missing hair in 2019. As her situation worsened, she was forced to seek treatment f rom a specialist who shared the news that her hair may never grow back, according to the outlet. Deeply saddened and stricken by fear of what her peers would think, she attempted various styles to cover up the condition. Over time, as it became clear the condition was not improving, her mother suggested she too would shave her head to...
Black Pinterest users were elated in 2018 when the app first introduced its search tool to filter out results for brown and dark skinned tones. Pinterest has announced that it’s continuing to make strides toward catering to its Black, brown, and Latinx demographic with its new feature — a search tool to filter out hair textures. “Today we’re introducing our latest advancement in inclusive beauty hair pattern search – a first-of-its-kind technology, that empowers users to search for hair inspiration across hair of all types ranging from protective, to wavy, to bald,” said Pinterest in its announcement. Try it now and #SeeYourself here: https://t.co/dFkklsWLKv pic.twitter.com/Zgi5Iiszjz — Pinterest Business (@pinterestbiz) August 18, 2021 While cognizant of the importance of diverse hair representation , Pinterest’s hair pattern options will not only scale from coily, curly, wavy, and straight textures, but also will help one search for protective styles. Plus, those who are bald...
Black wellness brands are on the rise! Black female-owned supplement company Body Complete Rx (BCRX) is breaking barriers in the nutritional supplement industry. According to PR Newswire, the company will launch its exclusive plant-based, vegan weight management supplements at The Vitamin Shoppe starting on Aug. 1. “We are so excited to be launching at one of the top retailers of nutritional supplements in the country because it’s a true testament to the efficacy of our brand and products,” said Samia Gore, founder, and CEO of Body Complete Rx in an official press release. “As the first and only Black female-owned brand in The Vitamin Shoppe’s weight management category, I am excited to make these wellness products more accessible to customers across the country and support their journey towards wellbeing.” Gore created the products as a result of her own personal journey. As an author, wife, and mother of four, she realized that the market was missing the safe and effective...
SheaMoisture is making this Mother’s Day a whole lot sweeter with some help from one of R&B’s most promising stars. This Mother’s Day, SheaMoisture has partnered with singer-songwriter Ari Lennox to kickoff a campaign that aims to celebrate the unique and vital roles that moms and mother-figures play in guiding young Black girls developing hair journeys. The campaign — which is launching in tandem with SheaMoisture’s new Wig & Weave Hair Care collection — highlights the multigenerational tradition of passing on healthy hair regimens and values that empower young Black women to embrace their natural curls and coils. “We are so thrilled to be a part of this campaign with SheaMoisture,” Lennox says. “My mom’s guidance has been so integral throughout my personal hair journey, and she is a source of inspiration within my life. For many women, our mothers and mother figures teach us and guide us in a way that fosters confidence and encourages authenticity. They are the first examples of...
The natural haircare beauty market will soon have a new go-to source for its next innovation. Black women-owned beauty brand You Go Natural (YGN) headwraps has announced the close of a $2 million seed funding round as it looks to expand its operations. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the funding round was led by Brand Foundry Venture Partners as well as other investors such as Capital Factory, Willow Growth Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners. YGN has shared that its next plan of action for the funds includes the round expanding its Dallas-based production facility from 1,500 to 7,500 square feet and growing its staff to reach over 100 employees. “As a Black female founder, I have unique market insight into the world of ethnic beauty,” founder Monique Little shared in a statement. “I know where the industry is way oversaturated, and I know where there are gaps in innovation and solutions that have yet to be introduced. The vision of YGN goes way beyond...
The winners are in! Barefoot received a record number of applications for its latest #WeStanForHer initiatives, but only five made the cut. The 2021 New Voices + Barefoot #WeStanForHer campaign is a celebration of Black women entrepreneurs. It has a mission to support the women as the company continues to drive toward economic equity for the Black community. In a partnership with New Voices Foundation, the grants celebrate, recognize and uplift Black-women-owned business founders and their unique journeys along the way. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Barefoot Each grant recipient will receive $10,000 to go toward the development of their business as well as to support their entrepreneurial spirit. Grantees will also receive exclusive coaching and mentorship from the New Voices Foundation to help them work toward furthering their business endeavors. A new leg of the grant this year includes the amplification of the 2021 grantees’ businesses through the use of Barefoot’s own platforms and...