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One of the major flaws of artificial intelligence (AI) is that it can reinforce racial bias. As CNN reported, the technology is based on data fed by humans, which can mean the data can be racist and biased. “Remember: AI is just software that learns by example,” Reid Blackman, author of the book, “Ethical Machines,” told CNN. “So if you give it examples that contain or reflect certain kinds of biases or discriminatory attitudes … you’re going to get outputs that resemble that.” The impact of its racial bias continues to disproportionately affect the Black community , including when it comes to resume screening. “And many employers now use AI-driven tools to interview and screen job seekers, many of which pose enormous risks for discrimination against people with disabilities and other protected groups,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wrote in a 2021 report on how AI can worsen racial and economic inequities. Now, a recent research paper has shown another area where AI...
A digital health application created by Black women and for Black women has raised $3 million. Health In Her HUE, established in 2018 by Ashlee Wisdom and Eddwina Bright, who is no longer with the company, is intended to connect Black women and women of color “to culturally competent and sensitive healthcare providers,” its website mentions.
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...
Created to support the startup economy, Pariti will continue its efforts with the help of recent funding totaling $2.85 million. The seed round was led by diversity-focused fund Harlem Capital, which secured $134 million earlier this year. Better Ventures, Accelerated Ventures, Diverse Angels, AVG Basecamp, and New General Market Partners participated in the round. “We’re thrilled to be working with Harlem Capital,” said co-founder and CEO Yacob Berhane of Harlem’s participation, according to TechCrunch. “Their focus on data, process and supporting underserved ecosystems aligns perfectly with our mission and makes them an amazing partner for us to build with.”
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...
The players of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) have long since been vocal on behalf of the sports organization, calling attention to social issues that tackle racism, sexism, and more to demand change in the league and beyond. According to NewsOne, the WNBA recently launched an initiative that aims to directly address systemic inequities that contribute to the racial health disparities among Black women and girls. Ahead of the upcoming season, the organization, alongside the WNBPA (Women’s National Basketball Players Association) Social Justice Council — a collective of athletes and activists that was formed following last summer’s Black Lives Matter protest — will use this initiative as a vessel to highlight the socio-economic factors that significantly impact COVID-19 care for Black women and girls and offer educational tools about the vaccines. It will also promote the importance of prioritizing mental health in communities of color. As part of the initiative,...
The Walton Family Foundation — derived from Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton — aims to continue to tackle issues in K-12 education in its new five-year strategic plan. For more than three decades, the foundation’s focus has been on three core objectives: protecting rivers, oceans, and the communities they support, advancing its home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta, and improving K-12 education. Three visionaries including: Marc Sternberg, head of the Walton Family Foundation K-12 Education program; artist and entrepreneur, Pharrell Williams ; president of Echoing Green, Cheryl Dorsey; and co-founder of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education, Liz Thompson gathered to share not only their perspectives but also speak about issues within K-12 education. “Over the past five years, we’ve been encouraged by the vision of new education leaders who are creating new, innovative school models that set students on a path to careers of the future and...
Walmart is standing on its word to fight against racial disparities in the U.S. On Monday Feb. 1, the retail giant announced that Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will distribute the first $14.3 million of its $100 million commitment in June. Grants will be dispersed to 16 various nonprofit organizations. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Walmart (@walmart) “Walmart has made a commitment to advancing racial equity, finding areas where we, as a company, can best contribute our resources and expertise to change society’s systems that perpetuate racism and discrimination,” said senior director of the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, Kirstie Simms. “We are excited to announce our initial investment to these deserving nonprofits that help advance racial equity through their organizations every day.” The center’s mission is to extend while also complementing the societal impact of Walmart’s business initiatives in an effort to advance racial equity in the nation’s...
There’s nothing like a giving heart! The American Heart Association just made a massive pledge to address social determinants as they work to improve the health of all communities — rural, suburban, and urban. In this aggressive campaign to focus on health equity for all communities, the association will raise and invest more than $230 million of its own funds over the next four years to put this plan into action. “In order to ensure every person has the same opportunity for a full, healthy life, the barriers that worsen the economic, social and health inequities of vulnerable communities must be dismantled,” American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown said in a press release. “It is the right thing to do, the just thing to do and the only way to improve overall health in this country. We look forward to working with like-minded organizations and supporters to be a relentless force for change that will result in longer, healthier lives for all.” The American Heart Association isn’t...
The California Black Health Network (CBHN) continues its efforts to change healthcare for the Black community in California. According to PR Newswire, the company has announced the appointment of Rhonda M. Smith as its new Executive Director, effective Jan. 4, 2021. The announcement follows just as she comes off the heels of serving as CBHN’s Interim Executive Director since July 2020. “I am honored to be chosen to lead CBHN, an organization that has such a legacy in the Black Community,” said Smith in a statement. “There is so much potential for CBHN in the years ahead for us to make an impact in improving the health and health outcomes for Black Californians. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we take action to improve health outcomes for Black Californians, inspire hope for a new and better future, and ensure a racially just humanity. We also need to ensure that there are more effective education, advocacy, and policy initiatives that mitigate those factors that...
Magic Johnson just teamed up with Cigna to tackle the effects of the global pandemic on LatinX, Black, and woman-owned businesses. According to the LA Sentinel , the basketball legend and president of the U.S. Commercial Business at Cigna, Mike Triplett will lead the conversation on the effects of the pandemic through a roundtable discussion. The collaboration for change seeks to make a ripple effect across the county and eventually the nation. Johnson shares there should be no surprise when it comes to the major differences in impact among ethnicities. “We lost 41% of the members of Black business owners since the pandemic, and 32% decline in Hispanic businesses and then [a] 25% decline in women-owned businesses,” said Johnson. “It’s so important that we first try to keep the doors open for women-owned, Black-owned, and Hispanic-owned businesses.” Cigna’s Triplett also shared his thoughts on the mission of his organization. “As a global health service company, Cigna’s mission is to...
It’s no secret that Black influencers especially have introduced those outside our community to the biggest trends in beauty, style, fashion, sports, and more to impact popular culture. According to data collected by InfluencerDB , influencer marketing revenue across major social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook is predicted to exceed $8 billion by the end of this year and $15 billion by 2022. Before now, there was little to no data and public dialogue about if Black influencers are fairly compensated. As a result, London-based senior talent and partnerships lead at AGM Talent, Adesuwa Ajayi, created an Instagram account to facilitate more honest and open conversations about how much influencers earn and “ explore disparities in opportunities, pay, and visibility,” Black Enterprise reports. Users can anonymously send specific detailed information about their rates and offers in accordance with their followers and engagement rate. Transparent conversations on...
As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, people are beginning to look into its medical possibilities. Recently, a team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) announced the development of AI to predict breast cancer. The AI model can help detect breast cancer up to five years in advance, Engadget reported . That alone is significant, but the researchers also claimed that their method helps eliminate racial disparities. “Rather than taking a one-size fits all approach, we can personalize screening around a woman’s risk of developing cancer. For example, a doctor might recommend supplemental MRI screening for women with high model-assessed risk,” MIT professor Regina Barzilay, a breast cancer survivor and senior author of the team’s paper in Radiology said. Researchers trained the AI model by showing it mammograms and known outcomes from over 60,000 patients treated at MGH. By doing so, the AI was...
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), once known primarily for powering video games, have evolved into the backbone of today’s most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems. At AFROTECH™ 2024 , Seyi (Shay) Ogebule, Ph.D., product lead at Intel and a seasoned expert in IoT and tech manufacturing, took the Cybersecurity Stage to share how GPUs are revolutionizing edge AI. “What powers AI? How does AI work? What’s behind the scenes?” Dr. Ogebule asked the audience. “So, I spent a lot of my career and my work over a decade-plus behind the scenes trying to create those specialized chips so that you can enjoy the benefits of AI.” Purchase your ticket to AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 now! During the panel, viewers learned about the latest breakthroughs in GPU technology, which is used to process massive volumes of data, and how such advancements are making general computing and AI more efficient, accessible, and impactful. As Ogebule explained, the growing demand for real-time, intelligent...