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HillmanTok University has made its way from TikTok to Capitol Hill. On March 11, 2025, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) joined forces with TikTok to celebrate the digital community for Black educators using the social media platform to reshape education and inspire approximately 135.79 million U.S. users. Several HillmanTok educators — Dr. Leah Barlow, Shyia Simmon, CPA Thurman Brooks, Kyra Brown, Denise Francis, and Gyllian Carter — visited Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, for a special reception to celebrate educational innovation and meet with members of Congress, TikTok shared in a news release. @thurman.brooks.cp Good morning Class! Myself and other Hillmantok creators got a chance to go to DC with TikTok to meet with members of congress and discuss the importance of the platform! Very grateful to have met everyone! Thank you to Andria Carter for having us and her hospitality! @Dr. Barlow’s Intro to Af-Am @Resilient Grace @YT: @gylliwilliproductions @Shyia Simmons ♬ original...
New funding has been raised for an online learning platform helping students avoid the debt of college. Campus was created by Tade Oyerinde, also its chancellor, to provide quality education to students through accredited, career-focused degree programs led by professors from top higher learning institutions such as Stanford University, University of California – Los Angeles , and Howard University. According to its website, Campus offers online associates degrees in business administration and business administration with applied artificial intelligence (AI) concentration to participants nationally. For its Sacramento, CA, campus, it has specific offerings for students in-state such as an associate’s degree in paralegal studies as well as one in AWS cloud administration. This campus also provides certification in medical assisting, medical billing and coding, phlebotomy, technical support, barbering and cosmetology, and other programs for California residents. Furthermore, to...
Students from across the country can benefit from the AFROTECH™ Conference. You don’t need to be a professional or a graduating college student to make an impact at the annual Black tech mecca. Learning is a lifelong process, and by attending the conference, you’ll gain access to a dynamic lineup of speakers and corporations covering topics such as entrepreneurship, wealth building, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. Additionally, attending AFROTECH™ presents countless networking opportunities—its first year in Houston, Texas, in November 2024 drew more than 37,000 attendees. Morgan State University junior Mivette Garcia had several expectations when she attended the AFROTECH™ Conference for the first time in 2024—expectations shaped by her pursuits as a business administration and management major, an intern at the university’s Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center, and the owner of a virtual beauty boutique that she hopes to expand to include beauty...
A scholarship for HBCU students created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reopened. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the department had established the 1890 National Scholars Program, which was intended to increase opportunities for underserved and rural communities, particularly in food, agriculture, natural resources, and other related sciences. The scholarship was created in partnership with 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that received resources under the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, otherwise known as the 1890 land-grant universities. The scholarship benefits include full tuition, fees, books, and room and board. 16 Virginia State University students receiving the scholarship view it as “an invaluable resource,” 8News reports. “A lot of us … it was hard for us to come to college alone. We can barely afford it,” VSU freshman Tobias Clark told the outlet. Those very students were stunned when news broke that the 1890 National Scholars Program...
Pharrell Williams’ nonprofit organization Black Ambition has distributed $13 million to underrepresented founders since its inception. The nonprofit currently is launching its fifth Black Ambition Prize Competition, which will award early-stage entrepreneurs in industries such as consumer products and services, health care, media and entertainment, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). Participants will have a chance to receive more than $1 million in funding. Further support will be provided over 12 weeks through mentorship, business development support, and access to its network of investors and industry leaders through the Black Ambitionist Mentorship Program in partnership with Cinematica Labs. According to information shared with AFROTECH™, $13 million has been awarded to 131 entrepreneurs since 2020. Additionally, the organization’s founder network has raised $280 million and generated over $265 million in revenue. “Five years ago, Black Ambition was an idea,” Williams...
A scholarship that provided assistance to HBCU students will no longer exist. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created the 1890 National Scholars Program through a collaboration with 1890 land-grant universities, which refer to the 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that benefited from resources established by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, according to Montana State University. The first act was established to ensure broader access to education in agriculture, military tactics, and engineering for the working class, and the second act provided further funding to include HBCUs. As for the 1890 National Scholars Program, it aims to increase representation at these schools by funding students, particularly from rural and underserved communities, i n food, agriculture, natural resource, and other related sciences, according to the USDA website. Recipients benefit from full tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Eligibility requirements...
Lil Yachty always knew he would be able to get rich with rap. The artist took a blast to the past on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast. Before betting fully on his music dreams and dropping out of college in the process, he worked several job. His mother, a businesswoman , instilled in him the importance of education and working. “My mother’s from a different time period than me as to where, like you know, her parents worked in steel mills, you know, and they instilled college in her. She’s from Gary, IN, so all she knew was a degree career,” he said on the podcast. “So, I’m like ‘I’m going to be rich off rap,’ and I’m from a little suburban area outside Atlanta (GA), where no one was famous, right. It was low to middle income. It was just regular, right. So, she’s like, ‘You got like a one-in-a-million chance.'” At 15, Lil Yachty worked at McDonald’s as a cook, and a year later he spent a month working at Six Flags amusement park during its Fright Fest. He also altered...
It’s important to surround yourself with friends you can win with, and Software Engineer Jovonne Cameron can attest to this. Cameron is a first-generation American who was initially discouraged from entering the tech industry by a high school guidance counselor. This led her to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business communication from Baruch College. She then went on to pursue a career in special education, working as an educator. However, she still maintained an interest in tech, particularly in computer science. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she was able to pursue her dream. “The pandemic came, and that was part of my story. I wanted to give myself that chance that I never got growing up and bet on myself. And then, within six months of making the decision, I became a software engineer,” she told AFROTECH™. Cameron now doubles as a software engineer and runs a tech consultancy that helps small businesses integrate artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline their...
Shaquille O’Neal is many things, and that also includes doctor! The former NBA star did not neglect his education journey despite going on to earn millions throughout his career. He attended Louisiana State University but did not initially complete his degree when he was drafted as the first overall pick in 1992 by the Orlando Magic. Spotrac reports he secured a four-year rookie contract valued at $17.4 million. O’Neal, who also is passionate about music, went on to secure a $10 million deal to release three albums under Jive Records. This led to collaborations with some music greats. “I was like ‘I got to take it,’ but then reality kicked in,” O’Neal shared on “Check-In at Wynn” in Las Vegas, NV. “I was like ‘I’m not a rapper’ and then I said ‘Let’s have a meeting’… I said as long as I can rap with all my favorite rappers, I’ll do it and they agreed. So, I think for a non-rapper, I probably have the best discography ever. Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Snoop, Ice Cube, Notorious...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increasingly blurred the line between truth and fiction. For example, deepfake technology is the creation of a video, audio, or image via machine learning that draws inspiration from a real person, as the U.S. Government Accountability Officer mentions. Examples of this include a fake Kamala Harris presidential campaign video that Elon Musk shared in July 2024 with his millions of followers on X. The footage included Harris labeling herself as a “DEI hire” and sharing negative remarks about President Joe Biden. “I, Kamala Harris, am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate,” she said in the altered clip. The video amassed 131 million views, according to NBC News. Notably, it violated Musk’s own policies for X—acquired by him in 2022—which state, “You may not share synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm.” Deepfake technologies have...
FICO is partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to educate the next generation of data scientists. According to a news release, the global analytic software company is bringing back its FICO® Educational Analytics Challenge for the second year. This will give students the opportunity to engage with real-world challenges in artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics, inspiring them to develop innovative solutions. This year’s challenge will center on empowering students to combat payment transaction fraud by tasking them with developing a robust fraud detection model. Students will be supported by Dr. Scott Zoldi, chief analytics officer at FICO, and his team of data scientists, who will also teach and mentor participants. Additionally, they will be given financial assistance and resources for internship opportunities. The FICO® Educational Analytics Challenge will expand to the following educational institutions in Spring 2025: F. Drake State Community...
Erin Harkless Moore believes artificial intelligence (AI) can improve the Care Economy. Since 2020, Moore has served as vice president and managing director of investments at Pivotal Ventures, a company launched by billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates to advance social progress and accelerate women’s influence globally, per its website. Gates has even committed $2 billion towards the mission. Furthermore, alongside partners, Pivotal Ventures prioritizes an expansive list of pillars within the $648 billion Care Economy, including mental health, paid medical and family leave, and women and tech innovation. Moore is tasked with leading a team responsible for selecting, investing in, and managing a diverse portfolio that adheres to Pivotal Ventures’ mission, her LinkedIn states. “We really start with our investment thesis and our direct investments in care looking at you know tech solutions that reduce burdens of care, lower cost of care, and improve access to care, and...
Richard Merritt II had a clear vision for his next career step. Journey In Technology Richard Merritt II’s journey in technology began at the age of seven when he showed interest in old Dell computers and learned to code graphing calculators in math class. “I was actually pretty interested in how computers work. In math class, they gave me those graphing calculators, and I was able to code them to do calculations for me. So, I kind of always wanted to do something with computers,” he told AFROTECH™. Between 2007 and 2012, Merritt attended Texas Tech University. He initially pursued a degree in computer engineering but pivoted to business administration in management information systems after realizing he wanted to explore the intersection of technology and people. Immediately after graduating, Merritt jump-started his career as an IT Analyst Intern at Valero Energy Corporation, as noted on his LinkedIn profile. This internship led to a full-time role as a Technical Product Manager...
Lupe Fiasco is stepping into academia to share his insights on rap! The artist, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, announced on Instagram that he will join Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute this fall as a professor for its four-year Hip Hop degree program. The program is led by Hip-Hop producer Wendel Patrick, who serves as an associate professor of music engineering and technology at the Peabody Conservatory. “Thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the faculty at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute in Fall 2025 as a Distinguished Visiting Professor,” Lupe Fiasco wrote on Instagram. The rapper behind “The Show Goes On” later added, “The @peabodyinstitute is one of the oldest music conservatories in America. World renowned for its rigorous training and for producing some of the world’s greatest musicians, and I’m honored to contribute to this legacy doing what I love most, Rap.” As for what students can expect, the course will include lessons with a...
Chris Paul has shared an exciting update about one of his investments. According to its LinkedIn page, the former NBA star is an investor in PlayersTV, the first athlete-owned media network and content provider. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , the network was launched in 2020 by Deron Guidrey and Collin Castellaw. PlayersTV offers athletes the opportunity to hold a stake in the company, with many also owning production companies. Notable athlete investors include Travis Kelce, Dwyane Wade, and Damian Lillard. “Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Damian Lillard are just a few of the 50+ athletes on PlayersTV’s roster. All of our athletes each have their own production companies and unique content they want to share with their fans,” Guidrey previously told AFROTECH™. “PlayersTV unlocks this opportunity and enables them to share their content in an authentic and meaningful way . By partnering with PlayersTV, these athletes are able to connect with their fans on a larger scale through...