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Deloitte is involved in a domino effect of U.S. corporations scaling back their DEI initiatives. An increasing number of companies are shifting their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts or removing them all together. Google will no longer recognize Black History Month and Pride Month on its calendar, per USA Today, while Disney says it will turn its focus from DEI to business outcomes and values, notes Business Insider. There is a growing push from conservatives such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and President Donald Trump. Per ABC News, Trump’s administration believes “DEI creates and then amplifies prejudicial hostility and exacerbates interpersonal conflict.” However, Christie Smith, former vice president of inclusion and diversity at Apple and C-Suite adviser, told the outlet, “When done right, DEI policies improve employee engagement, reduce turnover, and foster innovation by bringing diverse perspectives to the table. But the impact depends...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Washington, D.C ., has long been a hub for Black individuals seeking community and opportunity. Known affectionately as “Chocolate City,” the area is home to a thriving population of Black professionals who live, work, and play in the region. D.C. is not only the home of prestigious HBCUs like Howard University but also serves as the political heart of the United States, with most career opportunities tied to government work. Companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte offer consulting roles that bridge the gap between the private sector and government. As interest grows from both the government and the technology industry to strengthen their collaboration, career opportunities at the intersection of these sectors — at the federal, state, and local levels — are expected to rise. This is an emerging opportunity that aspiring professionals should pay attention to. In this article, I’ll...
It looks like TikTok is standing firm on not going down without a fight. In April 2024, AFROTECH™ previously reported that President Joe Biden signed a law to ban TikTok if its owner, ByteDance, didn’t sell it within a year. The bill followed the House of Representatives’ introduction in March of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , which aims to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications.” A main allegation that has come from U.S. government officials is that TikTok puts Americans’ personal data in danger of being exposed to the Chinese government, which catalyzed Biden’s law. However, TikTok has doubled down on stating the claim is false, saying it hosts data on U.S.-owned Oracle servers, according to CNN . “We will not stop fighting and advocating for you,” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew shared in a previous statement on its platform, per AP News. “We will continue to do...
Aisha Bowe is an inspiration for Black women who aspire to work in the space industry. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Bowe is a former rocket scientist for NASA and received the National Society of Black Engineers award for Outstanding Technical Contribution. However, before earning accolades, the aerospace engineer struggled to find her footing in her academic journey. In an interview with the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast, Bowe recalled not doing well during her time at community college. “I bombed the first semester,” Bowe told hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. “I think I’m going to be a business student and study economics.” Ultimately, struggling in community college led her to pursue a dream that she thought was once unachievable — becoming a rocket scientist. So, she transitioned into aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, although people around her didn’t understand why she was pursuing the career. “They literally thought that I had lost it,” she said....
Owning a music label is one thing, but owning one that rakes in the dough is another story. Music is embedded in the DNA of Murder Inc. founder Irv Gotti. He went from being the man that was Jay-Z’s first deejay, to the man calling the shots for one of the hottest labels in the industry during the 2000s. Thanks to heavy hitters like Ashanti, Ja Rule, and Lloyd, Gotti’s label was unstoppable — until it wasn’t.
After more than 150 years since its founding, West Virginia University just elected its first Black woman as student government president, according to My Buckhannon. Amaya Jernigan, who hails from Waldorf, Maryland, will take over the post for the first time in WVU’s history. She will lead the university’s student body for the 2021-2022 academic year alongside Hunter Moore, who will serve as vice president. “I would like to thank every Mountaineer who has made it possible for me to hold this position. I am beyond grateful and will be forever thankful that you all were brave enough to pave the way for me,” Jernigan said in a statement. “Hunter and I, as well as everyone else elected today, have been asked to bring change to campus. We won’t let you down. We have to be the change we seek, and the ‘ACTION’ starts today.” Jernigan is a junior biology major and she served as a senator-at-large for WVU’s Student Government Association (SGA) prior to landing the presidential role....
With nearly two decades of experience under his belt, software engineer Amir Reavis-Bey definitely knows his way around the industry. After spending a decade on Wall Street in various engineering and system analyst roles, a fellowship with Code for America led him in a new direction. This prompted the Brooklyn native to co-found a civic tech startup designed to connect local governments with the software and digital tools needed to keep citizens informed about changes in their communities. After getting his feet wet in the public service sector, Amir decided to dive right in and join Technology Transformation Services (TTS), a federal tech organization whose mission is to design and deliver a digital government with and for the American public. It’s a career trajectory Amir had no way of predicting since technology has evolved into a field with few voices and figures that look like him to offer any guidance — an ongoing hurdle for many Black professionals just hoping to get their...
Although many business owners have access to millions of dollars in government grants every year, accessing government grants still remains a resource that is not used as often as it should. Many people are under the impression that the grant process is too complex. Today, probably now more than ever, business owners should be taking advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. A government grant can be an incredible thing for your business , but you have to know how to get one. With the various rules and regulations surrounding government grants, it may seem easier to find a PS5 or an Xbox Series X than apply and get approved for a government grant. For those who have never applied for a government grant, we understand the process can be extremely overwhelming. You may be thinking, “Will it be worth it to apply for a government grant?” The answer is a resounding yes! Here are a few tips for applying for a government grant. Tip #1: Have a plan The majority of grants are...
What’s a day in the life of a government employee really like? As one of the largest employers in the country, the government employs everyone from postal workers to military professionals, making it an ideal place for those seeking the stability of federal employment while still enjoying various fields of work. Though many assume there’s little flexibility or creative paths available, those interested in both a government and a tech role, for example, have been drawn to organizations like Technology Transformation Services (TTS), a megaforce in technology modernization within the government that operates under the United States General Services Administration. There’s a certain air of mystery around working for the government, but those behind the scenes have a different story to tell. For Malaika Carpenter, an 18F content strategist at TTS, it’s meant diving into an entirely new industry. With a master’s degree in communications, Malaika used her writing and content creation...
Most teens are celebrating graduations or wrapping up another school year right now, but Woodbury teen Wesley Ross has bigger things on his mind. According to Shoppe Black , when businesses all over were frantically searching for masks at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Ross’ budding company, NorthStar Dynamics , managed to track them down in a factory overseas. The disposable three-ply masks are only a small venture for Ross’ company, but the niche lane he’s created for himself has made it possible to secure government contracts in the business world. “I have always tried to do big things,” said Ross. “I was not meant to be an everyday high-schooler.” Now he spends his time bidding on contracts most big businesses ignore by scouting the internet for small contracts for things the government needs. Upon doing so, he then finds a manufacturer to make it, a trucking company to deliver it and a buyer to accept it, Shoppe Black reports . Despite the contracts being small, Ross...
After coming under frequent scrutiny for security breaches and violations, Facebook may now be championing an unexpected cause: privacy. A New York Times report suggests that the social media titan is reviewing options for users to have encrypted messaging. While Facebook views this secure option as a positive for its users, Attorney General William Barr sees the encryption as a negative for law enforcement. “ Mr. Barr said drug cartels, child pornographers and other criminals increasingly used and hid behind messaging apps that were beyond investigators’ access even with a warrant, ” according to the Times. Facebook offers a robust counterargument to law enforcement officials who suggest that new security layers will make tracking criminals even more difficult. According to Facebook, criminals will have even more victories if the company’s users lack options for additional security. Yet, for many, the privacy debate exceeds the scope of crime and justice. As politics has shown,...
A decade ago, President Barack Obama first stepped into the Oval office and mandated the Open Government Initiative with a memorandum calling for transparency, participation, and collaboration of information from the Federal Government to the public. Now if it’s hard to wrap your mind around the concept of government and transparency altogether, let alone the other two principles, you’re not alone. This is where Open Data , a school of thought that some information ought to be available to the public without cost or copyright restrictions, comes into discussion in the United States. Although not the first push for public access to information in the U.S., (see: Freedom of Information Act of 1966 , Privacy Act Amendments of 1974 , Open Government Act of 2007 ), the scale of data collected and made available online over the past decade is unprecedented. So What Data Do They Have? The datasets represent information managed from various departments across Federal agencies and also pulls...