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It’s another historic feat in space exploration. According to a press release, Blue Origin — an American space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos — completed its 13th human spaceflight as part of the New Shepard program, bringing the total number of people it has sent to space to 70. This is after an historic, all-women-led crew, including journalist Gayle King, pop star Katy Perry, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe launched in April, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. “I’m honored to be part of Blue Origin’s first all-female flight team and this historic moment in space exploration and human potential,” Bowe expressed at the time in a news release. “This mission is about redefining what’s possible and showing young people, especially girls, that they belong in every field.” Now, a new historic feat has been reached through Blue Origin. On June 29, its 13th human spaceflight, NS-33 crew, included Owolabi Salis, a Nigerian-born attorney and financial consultant who is...
Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony have teamed up to award several HBCU students with scholarships. The trio is behind the Social Change United Fund, which was created in response to racial injustice, pooling their collective resources to support communities of color, its website mentions. It aims to create equity in entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation. “It started back in, I want to say, 2020,” Anthony told Fast Company. “It was a real moment. We were watching a moment in society and our community, and our country, and it’s right in front of our faces, and the world was watching. It was a moment where I had to figure out, ‘Da-n, what do I want to do?’ And I think everyone was asking that same question. We just talked, came together, and we founded the Social Change Fund United.” He continued, “What we did was create a really clear vision on what we wanted to do on strategy, how do we advance equity, how do we advance social justice, criminal justice reform,...
No matter who occupies the White House, Maryland Governor Wes Moore remains steadfast in his commitment to three core pillars for his state’s 6.2 million residents: work, wages, and wealth — and creating pathways for all three. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2024, Moore — Maryland’s 63rd and first Black governor — joined Blavity Inc. Co-Founder and COO Jeff Nelson for a powerful fireside chat focused on economic empowerment, youth engagement, public safety, and sustainable community development. The governor shared insights on building resilient, self-sufficient communities, equipping the conference room of innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers with tangible steps to create a lasting impact. Buy your AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 ticket now! Reflecting on his personal journey into public service, Moore shared that he didn’t come from a political dynasty — far from it. Now, he says he sees the world in two categories: Marylanders and future Marylanders. “I had to convince members of my...
Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) may dominate today’s conversations, but beneath the innovation lies traditional software engineering — the bedrock that makes these systems work. At AFROTECH™ 2024 , Kunle Oshiyoye, a software engineer at GitHub, shared insights from his work on AI technologies, his background as a graduate student at Georgia Tech studying machine learning, and his hands-on experience building and maintaining robust software systems. During the workshop, Oshiyoye explored idiomatic patterns and practical strategies for writing effective tests in the Go programming language, emphasizing why testing serves as both a safety net and a validation strategy. “Testing, to me at least, is a way to validate, to verify what you’re writing,” Oshiyoye said. He referenced a favorite quote: “A good programmer is somebody who always looks both ways before crossing a one-way street.” Purchase your ticket to AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 now! View this post...
Several scholarships supporting Black medical students in Cincinnati, OH, are under review, The Washington Post reports. The shift is influenced by a pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts under the Trump administration. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, DEI programs, roles, and initiatives were dismantled at the federal level. This led corporations and universities to adjust their policies in response to pressure from conservative groups. In 2023, the Supreme Court also reversed its stance on affirmative action, effectively ending the consideration of race in college admissions, according to NPR. “I got into medical school in 1972, and I’m not ashamed to tell anybody that it was because of affirmative action,” Kenneth Davis, a former Black general surgeon who retired in 2020, told The Washington Post. “I wasn’t the dumbest guy in the class. There were the children of faculty, alumni, and donors, and some of them struggled a lot more than I did, so I say...
Former President Barack Obama says artificial intelligence (AI) can code better than the majority of human coders. At a time when AI is present across various industries , the technology certainly has its pros and cons. And it will be even more important not to get left out of the conversation, which is why supporters like Kevin Hart are helping to ensure the technology is accessible to Black founders through his $10k grant program , as AFROTECH™ previously told you. “The train is coming and coming fast,” Hart told Fortune. “Either you’re on it, or if not, get out of the way.” Barack Obama recently had the chance himself to weigh in on the discourse around AI’s influence as part of the Sacerdote Great Names Series at Hamilton College held on Thursday, April 3, in Clinton, N.Y. During a discussion with the school’s president, Steven Tepper, Obama shared his predictions about which roles may face declining job security due to AI. He stated that the majority of human coders are already...
Remaining a student has led Carmelo Anthony into various industries. The former NBA player, who retired in 2023 and is a first-ballot Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, reflects on his evolution from the 19-year-old drafted in 2003 to a businessman who is now a serial investor and founder in the wine and cannabis sectors. One of Anthony’s biggest takeaways: He is no longer operating in fear. “A top lesson that I’ve learned was ‘stop being afraid,'” he recalled in an interview with AFROTECH™. “ A lot of times when you’re younger and you in these powerful roles and there’s people who are making decisions and there are people writing checks, it’s like ‘You too young to understand it,’ until you grow and until you get older, you go through it and you understand what you truly want to do.” He continued, “At 19, 20, 21, I didn’t have any type of sense of business. I knew street business, I knew street knowledge. I have foundational ethics and morals that could carry over from the streets...
Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is mobilizing support for Black maternal health. Black Maternal Health Week April 11–17 is Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), an initiative created by the Black women-led, cross-sectoral consortium Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), with the intent of raising awareness and fostering community around the experiences of Black mothers and birthing people, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. Atlanta-GA-based BMMA traces its origins to 2013 when the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (SisterSong) began constructive research on the obstacles Black mothers face in accessing health care. Once it had become its own independent entity in 2018, BMMA established Black Maternal Health Week and began working with up to 18 community-based organizations. That number has since grown to nearly 50. Black Maternal Health Week also intentionally coincides with National Minority Health Month,...
Spill is allowing its users to have a stake in its success. As AFROTECH™ previously reported , the social media app was created by Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown who had both worked for Twitter. In 2022, Terrell was laid off around the time Elon Musk had acquired the platform now known as X, while Brown had exited the company in 2020. Terrell says the focus in Spill’s creation was to support his colleagues and to answer a personal call, which was branching out to build a new platform. “Starting as a non-technical founder, that was a pretty daunting challenge. And I think it was that mindset of just determination that no matter what, I’m going to figure out a way to make something,” Terrell shared on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. “If I don’t raise a dollar, if I got to do whatever, everything starts, I think, from that particular mindset, and that is what’s magnetized.” He continued, “I think the type of energy that...
A 13-year-old who attends high school in Conyers, GA, has fulfilled his lifelong dream of receiving an acceptance letter to Morehouse College . Joshua Suddith is currently dual-enrolled at Hills Academy and Augusta Technical College, completing 27 credit hours with a GPA of 3.88, according to 11 Alive News. In his free time, Joshua enjoys playing basketball like typical kids his age — but he is anything but ordinary. By 9 months old, he was talking, and by 18 months, he was reading. At just 3 years old, he authored his first book. “His grit and determination are the most impressive things about him,” his mother, Chaundra Suddith, said. “He didn’t let challenges get in the way of his dream.” Throughout his education, Joshua skipped several grades — he moved from second grade to fifth grade, then to seventh, and then 11th grade. By age 12, he had received over 20 college acceptance letters, including from Jackson State University and Tennessee State University, 11 Alive reported....
The efforts of a financial institution created to fund underserved farmers is being put on pause. According to a news release, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in October 2024 the launch of the Southern Farmers Financial Association (SFFA), a bank that would make it easier for underserved farmers to access funding. Black farmers, in particular, face greater challenges in securing loans and often encounter discriminatory practices, Civil Eats mentions. To create better outcomes, Southern Farmers Financial Association r eceived $20 million in funding through former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ Inflation Reduction Act, which would support lending and outreach, hiring full-time staff, and attracting private sector capital. “Every farmer needs affordable financing. Farmers must have reliable and consistent access to capital to be successful,” USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Basil Gooden said in a news release. “For too...
There were some initial hesitations around Unrivaled’s 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, but that has not stopped it from attracting notable investors. Unrivaled is a startup founded in 2023 by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, its business model is unprecedented, offering the highest salaries in women’s sports and granting participating players an equity stake in the league. Its concept has proven to be a success among its players. “Everybody got equity coming into this league, that’s the most important thing…I know five years from now this thing is gonna be bigger than ever,” Angel Reese from Unrivaled’s Rose BC team shared during a virtual press conference held in January. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rose BC (@rosebc) The potential of Unrivaled was not understood by all. In fact, Collier recalls receiving various “no’s” during the league’s inception. “It was hard because you think the same thing like, ‘Oh, I’m an...
Atlanta, GA -based Georgia Tech University has joined the list of institutions adapting to federal laws surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives nationwide. On Feb. 26, 2025, the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance announced that the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center (LRC), the Women’s Resource Center, and the Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology Center would be dissolved and integrated into the Arts, Belonging, and Community Department, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. “We’ve known this was a possibility for years,” GT Pride Alliance said on Instagram. “These centers are losing the ability to distinguish and market themselves as what they are — a resource for marginalized groups. Other DEI programs are already undergoing similar restructuring across campus, but it is unclear when those changes will be fully announced.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by GT Pride Alliance (@gtpridealliance) According to Georgia Tech, the Arts, Belonging, and Community...
For the third consecutive year, Atlanta, GA , is the leading hub for Black-owned businesses in the United States. According to a LendingTree analysis, the city boasts the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses in the nation, with 11.3% of all businesses in Atlanta — or 13,766 — being Black-owned. The analysis used the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau Annual Business Survey to rank metropolitan areas by the percentage of Black-owned businesses in 2022. Windsor Jones, co-owner of Sweet Auburn Bread Company in the historic Sweet Auburn district, told Atlanta News First that he was not surprised by LendingTree’s findings. “It’s always been the Black mecca for excellence and resilience and entrepreneurship,” Jones told the outlet, describing Atlanta as the best city for Black entrepreneurs to thrive. As for nationwide trends, the LendingTree report revealed that Black-owned businesses in the U.S. grew by 22.2% year-over-year, accounting for 3.3% of all enterprises in 2022, up from 2.7% in...
DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives have been quickly scaled back or removed entirely across America following the Trump administration’s recent orders. Upon entering office last month, he banned DEI programs and even removed inclusive wording. Resources for underrepresented Americans on federal and corporate websites are disappearing by the day and many companies are following suit . This disappointing truth has led to a public uproar and general disappointment with obvious digressions from inclusiveness . What’s even more sobering is many companies’ silence or steady reversal of their previous commitments to progressive programs. Day by day companies are either doubling down , scaling back or completely switching up on their DEI efforts. No matter if their renunciations are quiet are bold, people are starting to pay more attention to corporate motives surrounding workplace inclusivity. Which Companies Are Still Supporting DEI? Christina @ wocintechchat.com/Unsplash...