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A long-time factor for a medical test for kidney transplant evaluations has been rectified, which has lessened a massive barrier for Black patients in need of a new kidney. Previously, the eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) test that is used for kidney transplant waitlist evaluations included race and outdated studies that inaccurately showed that Black patients’ kidney function was different than other racial groups and underestimated the extent of their illness, according to ABC News. Today, race is no longer taken into consideration. This came after reassessment from the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology in 2020, which determined race had no connection to kidney function. As a resulted, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network enacted the update in 2023. “That really was problematic, but it was very widely accepted,” said Martha Pavlakis, former chair of the kidney committee with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network,...
Dr. Ashira Blazer was still a student at the Baylor College of Medicine when her understanding of lupus, a debilitating autoimmune disease, suddenly hit close to home. Her cousin had unexpectedly missed Thanksgiving dinner that year due to an illness. At the time, Blazer was studying immunology and reading about this disease extensively. “My cousin told me she had been sick. At first, I thought maybe she meant she had a cold or a stomach bug,” Blazer said. “But then, she started listing her symptoms, and I referenced my immunology textbook, thinking, ‘This could be lupus.’ I took her to my professor at the time and went with her to an appointment. She ended up being diagnosed.” Fortunately, Blazer’s cousin had access to a knowledgeable family member and trusted health resources to help her arrive at a timely lupus diagnosis. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many Black women who live with lupus. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women of...
In a quaint restaurant in Rome, Lynett Marie—a Detroit, Michigan native—did a simple yet profound act she hadn’t done in years: She danced. Her long-awaited trip to Italy with her best friend to attend Easter Mass at the Vatican almost didn’t happen. Just months prior, Lynett Marie was bound to a wheelchair and walker due to a debilitating disease that few Americans know much about: lupus. Lynett Marie has one of the most common forms of lupus, known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which impacts the lives of up to 300,000 Americans—and counting. SLE is a complex, chronic disease attacking the body’s immune system. Its unpredictable nature means it manifests in everyone differently, but some of the most common symptoms include fatigue, skin rashes, fevers, and pain or swelling in the joints. But when Lynett Marie, a self-described “lupus warrior,” finally found the right treatment plan for her SLE, from that point on, she says, “Things just kept getting better, and better, and...
In the classic movie “Soul Food,” all of the occurrences are centered around the matriarch of the family, Mama Joe. She is the anchor for her three daughters, who went on to lead lives of their own but still very much so depend on her wisdom and guidance. As the plot would have it, Mama Joe had diabetes and was stubborn about taking her medicine and taking the necessary steps to prioritize her health. Left with few options, she has to have her leg amputated to deal with her health issues. However, Mama Joe’s family was left in the dark concerning the severity of her health issues. This issue is not a new phenomenon, as many families have dealt with surprising truths regarding their loved one’s health. At this intersection of health and wellness is where Intus Care pulls up. Intus Care is a “healthcare analytics platform that synthesizes healthcare data to identify risks, visualize trends, and optimize care.” AfroTech spoke with Evan Jackson and Robbie Felton to learn more about how...
Diébédo Francis Kéré has accomplished a not so easy feat as he’s reportedly become the first Black architect to earn a Pritzker Architecture Prize, or what’s being referred to as “architecture’s top award.” According to NPR, Kéré — whose work includes designs for schools and healthcare clinics — shares his architectural methods were inspired by his time in school with over 100 students who experienced scorching temperatures. “You will sit and it’s very hot inside,” Kéré said in an interview with the outlet. “And there was no light, while outside, the sunlight was abundant and in my head, I think, the idea one day grew [that] as an adult, I should make it better. I was thinking about space, about room, about how I can feel better.”
Some of the world’s greatest women athletes are embarking on the investment arena. On a mission to inspire non-traditional investors, early-stage venture capital firm Debut Capital is launching its first-ever Investor-in-Residence Program for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous founders. The first cohort will include some notable names such as four-time Olympic Track & Field Gold Medalist Sanya Richards-Ross, three-time Track & Field Olympian Medalist Lauryn Williams, four-time All-Star, and WNBA Champion Chelsea Gray, and 2021 WNBA Champion Lexie Brown. The inaugural class will partake in a six-week program to learn from individuals in venture capital. According to the press release, topic points will include generating deal flow, portfolio construction, and post-investment support. The cohort will have access to an investment total of $100,000. Debut Capital’s class of professional women athletes is “a way to begin closing the gap between them and their male athlete counterparts.” “The...
Nike continues to just do it, simple as that! In an effort to further its 25-year-long commitment to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) NIKE, Inc. has announced that it is now an official equity investor in the league in an official announcement shared with AfroTech. “Women’s sport is one of the best investments, with great potential to impact and grow the next era of basketball,” said Sonja Henning, VP, NA Leagues Partnerships , NIKE, Inc. in an official statement. “Nike has always been more than a sponsor with the WNBA — we’re a strategic partner. And we’re proud to be part of a movement that is redefining sport for a new generation — for WNBA players, fans and girls.”
Who better than professional athletes, A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo to be exact, to invest in an app that gets your bodies moving and physical health in check? The two basketball stars invested in a $2.7 million seed round led by Sweet Capital for Masters, a recently launched fitness app, Forbes reports. The app’s mission is to help people “get into better shape, connect with others virtually, and want to follow athletes and see their training methods.” Wilson and Adebayo are both investors, as well as trainers for the app. “I think it’s something you’ve never really seen before,” said Wilson. “You see us pro athletes, what we produce on the court or the field or wherever we are. But you don’t really know the background to it all and how simple some exercises may be. When I heard I could be able to be my own trainer in a sense, I thought it was pretty cool to be a part of it.”
Women athletes and sports fans will soon be able to rock new PUMA gear, thanks to celebrity stylist and designer June Ambrose. While leading as the sportswear brand’s creative director for women’s basketball, Ambrose’s first PUMA collection will release on Dec. 1, Business Insider reports. The upcoming collection has 25 pieces, which will feature on-court and off-court footwear and apparel including jackets, leggings, hoodies and bags. View this post on Instagram A post shared by PUMA (@puma) “It goes from the court to the curbside,” Ambrose told Business Insider. “I’ve worked with the brand on redefining what it means to be stylish in sport. That’s been my goal, to bring style to sports.” As previously reported by AfroTech, the fashion icon snagged her role at Puma after Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z introduced her to PUMA’s global director of brand marketing Adam Petrick and CEO Bjørn Gulden to help elevate the brand by intertwining fashion. “The connection between style and sport is...
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Tuskegee University received a $13.7 million grant on Nov. 8, in hopes of creating a systemic and sustainable culture while promoting inclusivity within the community of scientists. Through the grant — in partnership with Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) — the two Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs) will hire and train 12 new research faculty members to push the mission forward for inclusive excellence in health disparities research, according to a press release. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Tuskegee University in this endeavor to build a community of scientists committed to inclusive excellence by recruiting early-career faculty committed to promoting diversity and inclusion while addressing health disparities,” UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Dean and Senior Vice President for Medicine Selwyn Vickers, M.D. said in a press release. The press release...
Fresh off an impressive WNBA finals run, Skylar Diggins-Smith is striving to level the playing field on a new court. The Phoenix Mercury guard will be partnering with investment platform Public to steer conversations centered around women’s pay equity and building wealth. A partnership of this sort is nothing new for someone like Diggins-Smith, who has been a prominent advocate for the pay gap between men’s and women’s sports. She continues to place herself in positions to invest in a more equitable future for all women. “During my time in the WNBA, I’ve thought a lot and spoken up about how to improve our pay equity as players. But this is an important conversation to have outside of sports, too,” Skylar Diggins-Smith told AfroTech exclusively. “Investing in the stock market can be a great way to build long-term wealth, and I’m excited to work with Public to help the next generation of investors, especially women of color, start investing in the public markets and themselves.” As a...
Dawn Staley is officially one of the highest-paid head coaches in NCAA Women’s Basketball, thanks to a seven-year contract totaling $22.4 million to continue her position with The University of South Carolina. Since her tenure at the University dating back 13 seasons, the Hall of Famer has flipped the conversation surrounding the women’s basketball program due to their impressive statistics. They are one of only three programs that were featured in half of the last six NCAA Final Fours (as of this writing) in which they took home the trophy in 2017. Under Staley’s reign, the team was the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament five times and racked up an impressive 25 weeks at the top spot in the Associated Press Poll. And, these accomplishments are merely scratching the surface for how the recent Olympic Champion has transformed The University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program. “Dawn Staley is one of the nation’s top coaches, regardless of the sport,” Ray Tanner, South...
Following a successful run as a presenting partner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Google is making it official with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Through the partnership, Google presented search trends and analytics across digital and social platforms throughout the WNBA season, playoffs and finals. Now, the search engine giant will be expanding their partnership to officially work alongside the league, Boardroom reports. “Expanding our relationship with Google will enable fans to deepen their engagement with the game and their favorite teams during our landmark 75th Anniversary season and beyond,” says Kerry Tatlock, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships and Media of the NBA in a press statement. As a part of the multi-year partnership, Google Pixel will become the official fan phone and first presenting partner of the NBA Playoffs, opening doors for the incorporation into ESPN, TNT and YouTube TV. In addition, the partnership...
Queen Latifah is debunking the false stereotypes of obesity in her latest campaign with pharmaceutical company Nova Nordisk. AfroTech previously reported that Queen Latifah signed an audible deal to highlight activists in different sectors. Now, her latest venture hits closer to home as she tackles an issue that has loomed over her career for decades. Conceptualized with director Chris Robinson, “It’s Bigger Than Me” allows Latifah to share her experience of living with obesity through four impactful and creative video snippets. View this post on Instagram A post shared by It's Bigger Than Me (@itsbiggerthan) As a star in the industry, Latifah developed insecurities struggling to maintain a healthy weight in the limelight. The Hollywood actress first learned she was obese upon working with a trainer for a movie role earlier in her career. “I fell into the category of obesity, and it took a trainer to educate me about what it was when I was trying to lose weight for a project,”...
Black women are breaking barriers left and right! According to ESPN, Candace Parker will now become the first female basketball player to grace the cover of NBA 2K. The Chicago Sky star will represent the WNBA’s 25th-anniversary special edition NBA 2K22 game set to be released on Sept. 10. “I grew up a video game fanatic, that’s what I did, to the point where my brothers would give me the fake controller when I was younger where I think I was playing and I wasn’t,” said Parker . “All I wanted to do was just be like them. As a kid growing up, you dream of having your own shoe and dream of being in a video game. Those are an athlete as a kid’s dreams. To be able to experience that, I don’t take it lightly.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker) For Parker, the historic move resonates much more now that she’s been in the WNBA for over a decade. “I think when you’re young and experience these types of things, you’re onto the next thing,” she...