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On Feb. 12, 2021, the Minneapolis Police Department announced that its officers are banned from using facial recognition software when they’re in the process of apprehending suspects. According to TechCrunch, the problematic police department — best known for being the home of the officers who killed George Floyd last summer — is known for having a “relationship” with Clearview AI, a firm with a record of “scraping” images from social media networks and selling them, wholesale, to police departments and federal law enforcement agencies. 13 members of the city council — with no opposition — voted in favor of banning facial recognition software usage. And Minneapolis is just the latest city to join in the usage ban, joining Boston and San Francisco in this landmark move. However, the bans haven’t included selling the images to private companies — which many privacy experts cite as a growing concern. But there’s another, more salient reason why facial recognition software is facing...
Tariffs on imported goods imposed by President Donald Trump will impact small business owners. AP News reports that the Trump administration has announced new tariff policies, including a 34% tax on imports from China, a 20% tax on imports from the European Union, and a 10% baseline tax on most imports. According to a press release from the White House, the 10% baseline will take effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 5, 2025, while the countries with higher tariff rates will have to comply by at 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 9, 2025. Trump hopes to restore balance to global trade and believes imposing these tariffs will lead to billions in revenue for the U.S., AP News notes. “I will sign a historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world. Reciprocal, that means they do it to us and we do it to them… This is one of the most important days in my opinion in American history,” Trump said during a “Make America Wealthy Again” event on April 2, according to...
On the first day of the new Trump administration, the President issued an executive order to revoke several DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) protections. This policy change enabled companies across the country to eliminate DEI hiring practices, protections and related incentives. As a result, many prominent businesses revealed that their commitment to DEI had largely been driven by legal requirements rather than genuine support. While some companies, such as Costco, Apple and Delta Airlines, have maintained a strong commitment to supporting marginalized communities , numerous others in the tech, automotive and grocery sectors have removed DEI frameworks from their policies. Given the growing importance of DEI to a significant portion of the American public, consumers are increasingly making more informed choices about where they spend their money. In fact, many have begun to consider boycotting businesses that do not align with their values. For those who prioritize DEI, we...
Kendrick Lamar received mixed reactions from the public over his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance — but it led to a nearly 175% increase in Spotify streams across the United States. According to an Instagram post shared by Spotify on Feb. 10, 2025, several songs from Lamar’s halftime setlist experienced significant boosts. “Not Like Us” — the popular Drake-aimed diss track released in May 2024 — saw a 430% increase, followed by “HUMBLE,” which rose 300%. “DNA,” which, along with “HUMBLE,” is from the 2017 album “DAMN,” experienced a 260% increase. “Luther,” performed with SZA, and “tv off,” featuring lefty gunplay, both experienced a 170% increase in streams. SZA also benefited from the performance, with an 80% increase in her Spotify streams. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spotify News (@spotifynews) Exactly one week after winning five Grammy Awards — bringing his total to 22 — Lamar performed 10 songs at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025, including five tracks...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has been in the spotlight since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, in 2020, which millions of people witnessed via social media. That reminded me of how the civil rights movement didn’t spark real change until people saw the violence against protestors broadcast directly into their homes. Similarly, in 2020, many witnessed injustice unfold in real time on their phones. We can draw parallels between the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the events of the past five years. Just as some supported integration while others opposed it, there are divided views on DEI today. Gallup Inc. helps track public opinion on these issues over time. George Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion, the precursor to Gallup. In 1935, they conducted their first political public opinion poll and have remained independent, never conducting surveys on behalf of...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Just two weeks into his presidency, the Trump administration has already decreed several executive orders to undo much of former President Joe Biden’s work in the past four years. As many predicted, President Donald Trump has come after DEI initiatives , signing an executive order to remove all DEI programs within the Federal government. Corporations like JP Morgan Chase & Co, Costco , and Goldman Sachs have all stated that they plan to retain their corporate DEI programs and continue with business as usual. However, other big retailers like Walmart , Meta, McDonald’s, and Target have rolled back their previous DEI promises in accordance with the Trump administration. In recent years, corporate DEI initiatives have faced increasing attacks, with right-wing critics arguing that efforts to promote diversity are discriminatory against white people. Many corporations began implementing diversity,...
Rashida Jones is stepping down as president of MSNBC, marking a significant transition just days before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House . USA Today reports that she will remain in an advisory role until March. Rebecca Kutler, a Jones recruit from CNN and MSNBC’s senior vice president of content strategy, will serve as the interim president. “I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team,” Jones shared in an internal memo to staff, per USA Today. “This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you.” Jones was the first Black woman to head a major television news network when appointed in December 2020, AFROTECH™ previously reported. She succeeded Phil Griffin, officially stepping into the role in Feb. 1, 2021. Jones previously served as senior vice...
Maryland’s first Black family-owned wine company is expanding! As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Boyd Cru Wines is led by married couple Matthew and Jon’ll Boyd, who pursued separate career paths for over a decade before collaborating on a shared business venture in the wine industry. For over a decade, Jon’ll worked in the event planning industry, while Matthew built his career in the pharmaceutical and chemistry sectors. In the wake of COVID-19 in 2020, Jon’ll’s industry came to a standstill, leading to a greater focus on what became Boyd Cru Wines in April 2023. “I think the pivotal point for us came right about during the pandemic because that, of course for me, brought my event planning business to a very quick and fast halt as you can imagine with people not being able to gather,” Jon’ll told the Washington Business Journal. “It afforded us an opportunity to delve deeper into the wine industry, and simultaneously, I think at that time, I was seeing that there was some shifting...
Sometimes, the perfect collaboration starts with genuine interest and collaboration. As founder and CEO of the award-winning ad agency Walton Isaacson, Aaron Walton’s career exemplifies the mastery of leveraging celebrity and influencer partnerships to elevate brands to new heights. Walton’s impressive portfolio spans iconic collaborations, from the Spice Girls’ November 1997 campaign with Polaroid to Michael Jackson’s enduring partnership with Pepsi. Most recently, he helmed Beyoncè’s partnership with Lexus during her “Renaissance World Tour.” Walton’s work on some of the most creative advertising campaigns has made him an expert in the field. He shared his keys to success with attendees during the AFROTECH™ 2024 Conference. “Something as a brand that is important, when you’re looking at connecting with a celebrity, you have to make sure that you do your homework and make sure your cultural values are aligned,” Walton told AFROTECH™ following his session “The Art of Brand...
A lawsuit has been filed against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Equal Protection Project, which is under the Legal Insurrection Foundation, is suing MIT for its program supporting women of color, CRWN ( The Creative Regal Women of kNowledge), according to Boston.com. The nonprofit claims that the program is exclusionary, discriminatory, and violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 because “only undergraduate ‘women of color’ can participate in the program.” “We bring this civil rights complaint against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for creating, supporting and promoting a program for undergraduate students — called the Creative Regal Women of Knowledge, or ‘The CRWN’ — that engages in invidious discrimination on the basis of race, color and sex,” foundation founder William A. Jacobson wrote in the complaint, per the outlet. In a follow-up statement, he added. “It is sad and disheartening to...
Former pharmacist Brittney Mikell will be making history in her next chapter. WCCO-TV reports Mikell exited her role in pharmacy after experiencing burnout. She then decided to purse her passion in brewing and landed a role as an assistant brewer at La Dona Cerveceria in Minneapolis, MN. “I didn’t feel like I was making the impact that I really wanted to in healthcare,” Mikell explained to Eater Twin Cities. “I woke up one day and realized that this could be a really cool place where I could make an impact. You only really live once, so I decided, let’s just pivot — why not?” Mikell maintained bigger aspirations while working at La Dona Cerveceria, referring to herself as “a huge dreamer,” per WCCO-TV. She plans to become the first Black woman to own a brewery in Minnesota. This is significant as just 1% of breweries in the U.S. are Black-owned, Essence reports. Additionally, of the 200 breweries in the state, few are owned by women or people of color, WCCO-TV mentions. “The...
Airbnb is already known for helping millions of people across the world travel in style. However, now, it’s taking its rentals to even more of an iconic level. On May 1, 2024, for its 2024 Summer Release , Airbnb unveiled “Icons,” a new category that transports travelers to exclusive experiences across the world that they haven’t had access to before, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. During the Summer Release presentation in Los Angeles, CA, Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky shared that the offering has been about a decade in the making from the inception of the innovative idea to its release. Previously, Airbnb has been behind experiences such as allowing guests to lodge in the last Blockbuster store, located in Bend, OR — the only Blockbuster still open in the world — in 2020. Chesky and his team have expanded on such an inventive idea to create even more adventures and inspire people to dream. Composed of first-of-its-kind experiences that feature some of...