Innovative learning labs are being planted in southern underresourced cities to combat the digital divide. Ed Farm Launched in February 2020, Ed Farm, with the support of Apple and the Alabama Power Foundation, works to reach students, teachers and the workforce with the goal of establishing an epicenter for education technology, Ed Farm President Waymond Jackson told AFROTECH™ during the Future of Learning Summit 2025 on June 5. Photo Credit: Samantha Dorisca The organization initially focused on the Birmingham, AL area, launching with a partnership with Birmingham City Schools before expanding to Montgomery Public Schools and Atlanta Public Schools by 2021. Today, its efforts have scaled to Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and California, per The Business Journals. The arrival of Ed Farm came just weeks before the pandemic. “We were just working with one school district, which was Birmingham City Schools. What I continue to tell my team was that we positioned to be a...

Thomas L. Jennings is the first Black individual to be granted a patent in the United States, according to the National Geographic. Jennings, born in 1791 to a freed family in New York City, NY, would become an entrepreneur, owning his own tailoring business, per Lemelson–MIT. He had worked various jobs before settling on being a tailor, and his popularity grew within his community, allowing him to open a storefront, Black Inventor reports. However, Jennings’ customers, seemingly satisfied with his service, addressed concerns about cleaning the fabric he used. This led him to experiment to create solutions and cleaning agents, and he developed the “dry-scouring” method, which lifts stains and dirt from fabrics through solvents without the worries of shrinkage or comprising the fabric, per GreenEarth Cleaning. Today, the technique is more commonly known as dry-cleaning. Black Inventor noted that Jennings applied to patent the method in 1820. At this time, to adhere to the Patent Act...

Universal Music Group (UMG) may be pulling its music from TikTok. In an open letter, UMG listed several grievances that may cause the music company to severe its partnership with the rapidly growing platform. It credits some of TikTok’s success and global reach to the music that has been created by UMG artists and songwriters. Despite this, the company highlights the inadequate compensation for its artists and songwriters, with the platform contributing only a minuscule amount to UMG’s total revenue. “With respect to the issue of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” UMG said in a letter. “Today, as an indication of how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue and increasing reliance on music-based content, TikTok accounts for only about 1% of our total...

Senators, including Sens. Raphael Warnock, Cory Booker, Laphonza Butler, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, and more, have called out the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Uploading job postings while looking for people to fill open positions is a fairly standard process. However, what’s said to be a description for one company’s roles may have shown its true colors in what the higher-ups are looking for.

Tyler Perry is helping nearby senior citizens with a timely donation.

The world was excited when renowned Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt launched his own line of electric scooters, but now everyone is wondering what happened to the company now that its products have been scrapped and left abandoned in several U.S. cities. Bolt Mobility electric scooters made up the dockless rental company co-founded by the famed sprinter. Per reports from TechCrunch, the company has halted operations across several U.S. cities including Portland, OR, Burlington, VT, South Burlington, VT, Winooski, VT, Richmond, CA, as well as Richmond, VA.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Bolt Mobility (@bolt_now)

Citi is following through on its promises to eliminate overdraft fees. The financial institution is now one of the only top five banks in the U.S. (based on assets) to completely get rid of various charges affecting consumers daily. Now, those with Citi Retail Banking consumer deposit accounts no longer have to worry about overdraft fees, returned item fees, or overdraft protection fees. The move is a part of the bank’s ongoing commitment to providing financial inclusion for individuals in underserved communities. As previously shared by AfroTech, the bank is also on a mission to advance economic progress across the nation. Protection from overdraft fees doesn’t just stop at consumers seeing an extra charge or two on their bank account. Citi provides options for combating the issues. As a part of the new overdraft protection services, they will offer two choices for consumers looking to cover negative balance transactions. One includes Safety Check, which transfers available funds...