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Marcus Bullock has taken the journey from prisoner to tech CEO to help families avoid the suffering he experienced firsthand. In 2012, the entrepreneur and criminal justice reform advocate founded Flikshop , a tech company that offers an app that enables families to send personalized postcards to incarcerated loved ones. The photo-sharing platform aims to help combat recidivism, Bullock told Newsone . “When I went to prison, I was forced to grow up fast,” he said of his eight-year sentence at 15-years-old for carjacking. “One of the things that got me through and allowed me to even be able to see the world and what the possibilities were before I came home was my mom and the letters that she would write me while I was in jail. In prison, getting mail is like hitting the lottery.” Flikshop allows photos from your phone, Facebook, or Instagram to be delivered as postcards instantly for as low as $0.79 each. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Flikshop App (@flikshop) In...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Peter Drucker, the Austrian management consultant whose writings helped shape modern management theory, once said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” This quote aptly describes the impact of the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to delete the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. Created under the Biden administration and initially proposed by Donald Trump during his first term, the database was designed to hold federal police accountable for infractions and prevent bad officers from moving between jobs without oversight. By maintaining a record accessible to hiring authorities, the system aimed to improve transparency and accountability. However, the U.S. Justice Department provided no rationale for why it was decommissioned. The reasoning behind this decision may lie in the leadership of the U.S. Justice Department. Pam Bondi, a former Trump’s campaign official and the...
Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., is a multi-talented artist who has made a significant impact not only in the music and film industries but also in business and philanthropy. With a career spanning over three decades, Common has transcended the typical rapper persona to become an influential figure in Hollywood and the entrepreneurial world. In 2025, his net worth continues to grow due to his diverse ventures and his commitment to social change. So, how much is Common worth in 2025? Let’s explore the trajectory of his career, his business ventures, and his philanthropic efforts, which are integral to his financial success. The Early Years And Breakthrough In Hip-Hop Born and raised in Chicago , Common began his music career in the early ’90s, initially releasing Can I Borrow a Dollar? in 1992. However, it was his critically acclaimed album Resurrection (1994) that introduced his poetic and socially conscious style to the world. Tracks like “I Used to Love H.E.R.” cemented his...
Several Philadelphia, PA , businesses have been passed down through generations, including Paul Beale’s Florist. According to our sister site, Travel Noire, the florist shop, founded by Paul and Altermese Beale in 1971, has spent nearly five decades cultivating a loyal customer base. For Paulette Beale Harris, the second-generation owner, carrying on the family’s legacy isn’t a responsibility she takes lightly. She emphasized that she doesn’t want her parents’ hard work and sacrifices to be “in vain.” In honor of Black History Month , Visit Philadelphia has launched a four-part video series titled “Legacy & Love.” The series highlights Black-owned businesses that span generations and the families behind them, as well as businesses launched to honor loved ones, Travel Noire highlighted. The videos, available on visitphilly.com , feature the stories of the Beale family, Lori Thomson and her mother, Vera Doyle from Vera Doyle Boutique, Yvonne Blake and her granddaughter Alana Rambera...
Six years after opening, a Philadelphia, PA, pizza shop continues its mission of providing a fresh start and making life easier for former inmates . According to NBC News, the seven-member staff at Down North Pizza consists entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals, including executive chef Michael Carter. Carter was searching for a new beginning after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and selling barbecue meals off his porch. “When I add up the guys who work here, it’s about 63 years incarcerated. So it’s like we understand each other, where we come from,” Carter told NBC. “We had the same barriers when we came home, like whether it be employment, housing, health care — we all had to figure it out.” Carter was one of the first hires at Down North with experience in the kitchen, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Childhood friends Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi founded the North Philly staple, hoping to reduce recidivism rates in the area. The restaurant serves pizza,...
REFORM Alliance and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation joined forces Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, by hosting a job fair in Richmond, VA, that connected over 2,000 job seekers with more than 1,500 open positions. The free event focused on removing employment barriers for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system , particularly those on probation or parole, according to a press release. Participants had access to a diverse range of 36 employers, including major national brands like Amazon, Starbucks, and Foot Locker , alongside local businesses from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The job fair also featured numerous state and local government agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia State University, and the City of Richmond. Jessica S., who was recently released from incarceration, interviewed with both Amazon and Foot Locker and received invitations for second-round interviews. “It’s been a struggle to find work...
No matter one’s background, they’re deserving of access to education. Currently, there are several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that share this sentiment and are taking initiative. A majority of formerly incarcerated people of color aren’t presented life fulfilling opportunities. Changing this circumstance, Parents reports that HBCUs nationwide are creating and investing in new prison-to-college education programs. The programs aim to “reduce recidivism and improve economic opportunities.” They help to teach skills needed to land jobs, become a business owner, and navigate life after prison. Overall, the mission is to support individuals in having a higher probability of successfully re-entering society. The effort is a flip of the pre-K to prison pipeline, which has harmed the Black community and its youth. Currently, institutions such as Howard University, Claflin University, and Lane College are part of providing a way for formerly incarcerated people of...
The only all-male Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Morehouse College , has its own initiative to assist current inmates in being prepared for life after incarceration. A part of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership (AYCGL), Morehouse College faculty members take aspects of its curriculum to Georgia-based inmates. Prison reform is built on the premise that individuals deserve a second chance. The concept of reform has led to lower rates of recidivism and more significant opportunities for people to have a greater chance of positive rehabilitation. According to a write-up by Morehouse associate professor Kipton E. Jensen, the AYGLC Prison Education Initiative was designed to support staff members who teach humanities courses to imprisoned men and women across the Georgia prison system. The prison education initiative is steadily growing at a solid pace, involving more Morehouse faculty and students to assist in prison education. As of last year, the AYGLC...
There are a few things Black people do not play about: faith, family, food and finances. Money is the currency that allows one to make transactions, and it’s a means for wealth. The O’Jays told Grandma and Auntie that money can be a real problem if not used properly, while Cardi B is encouraging the new generation to make sure they go after the bag. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of collecting coins, money isn’t the only means to success and wealth. Time is currency. Education is currency. But what is one of the other most notable means for wealth? Relationships. History has proven that the power of collaboration can take any concept from mere idea to paradigm-shifting movement. T. Rowe Price is replicating this by leveraging the power of connectivity to impact community. T. Rowe Price is showing up for Baltimore in a big way with its long-standing relationship with Baltimore Corps . Often referred to as the “Human Resources for the City of Baltimore,” Baltimore Corps’ mission is...
Comedic sensation Kevin Hart surprised actress Taraji P. Henson with a charitable donation of $100,000 for her nonprofit organization, Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. In the newest first look for Kevin Hart’s series “ Hart to Heart” on Peacock, Henson reveals the foundation was launched due to her initial struggles of finding a therapist. Aware of her advantage Henson shares, “I started it because I knew that I was having an issue trying to find a therapist. I am privileged, I have money. Imagine all the people of color that can’t.” Founded in 2018, the foundation is on a mission to ensure the Black community will have access to trusted mental health resources nationwide and continue to fight the stigmas surrounding mental health. Due to a history of systemic oppression and mistrust in the medical system, millions within the Black community have learned to cope with trauma. “The strength is in vulnerability. The strength is in saying I’m not okay today. That’s the strength. The...
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has announced the launch of his new consulting firm, KAI Eleven Consulting, LLC (KAI 11 Consulting), that aims to assist underrepresented entrepreneurs across industries, including Black and women-owned businesses. According to a press release, KAI 11 Consulting — in partnership with KAI Family Foundation and Lockstep Ventures — will provide programs and mentoring services to offer business owners access to “development coaches, area managers and growth groups that offer roadmaps to scaling and cultivating efficiencies.” The consulting firm will also make it a point to provide resources to help close the financial gap across various communities. “We must give our people the proper resources and stewardship for them to win beyond traditional investment vehicles,” founder Irving said in a statement. “This is not only essential to closing the wealth gap, but it also fosters a more unified, empowered, and liberated society.” According to information...
A Philadelphia-based pizza shop is out here changing lives. According to ABC News, two childhood friends are aiming to reduce the city’s recidivism rates through their pizza shop by exclusively hiring formerly incarcerated men and women. The lifelong friends and now co-founders Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi have always been passionate about giving back to their community. “We’re changing the quality of life for our community by being the hand that feeds and teaching others to do the same,” Evans said during an interview with “Good Morning America.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Down North Pizza (@downnorth_pizza) After several months of planning, the pair decided to combine their passion to serve and their love for pizza by opening Down North Pizza in the heart of North Philly last month. They’ve witnessed firsthand how incarceration has impacted their loved ones who weren’t able to find employment upon their release from prison. It was a no-brainer for...
When the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we do business, technology opportunities shifted from Silicon Valley to Main Street. Nevertheless, many Black tech professionals — especially those in the Midwest — weren’t afforded the same opportunities as their colleagues. However, the Midwest Tech Project — based in Grand Rapids, MI — hopes to change all of that. “The Midwest has had to overcome a lot of adversity due to it being in the heart of the Rust Belt,” said co-founder Jonathan Jelks, exclusively. “As industry moved out, technology moved in — and it’s a question of whether these big tech companies can see that.” “Careers in technology don’t just involve engineering and coding,” agreed co-founder AJ Hills IV. “They involve everything from cybersecurity to front-end and back-end development, even e-commerce, and social media management. The point of our company is to allow Black men and women to see that there are many, many ways to transition into a full-time technology career.”...
Prisoners are getting job training so they can prepare to enter the field of tech upon their release, thanks to prison rehabilitation program, The Last Mile. The Last Mile — which is based in San Quentin, California — is bridging the gap between tech and criminal offenders to teach them how to code so they can easily find employment once they get out of prison. “At The Last Mile, we are using technology to try and solve mass incarceration,” software engineer Jason Jones said to The Denver Channel. “You are talking about disrupting the status quo of people not normally getting access and opportunity. Not only are we driving down the recidivism rate where people get out and don’t come back no more, but we also have the ability to go back in the community and stop people from going into prison in the first place.” Jones — a product of the program who now teaches computer coding to prisoners through remote communication — helps these people become reformed citizens well-equipped to...
In our nearly hour-long conversation, Superbad CEO Carlos Dew didn’t just limit his conversation to talking about his top-shelf brand cannabis. Rather, our conversation ran the gamut from the changing face of the legal cannabis industry to the misconceptions about “legal weed,” as a whole. “There are multiple ways to get into the industry,” he told AfroTech. “And the biggest problem that most Black men and women have, today, in getting into the industry is the lack of capital behind them. But, a good cannabis business isn’t just about money. Rather, it’s about forming a consortium of people — of businessmen and women, of growers, of attorneys, of everything that makes a good corporation — and understanding both your rights and your responsibilities as a business.” This innate understanding of the cannabis business, and how it works, has helped Dew bring Superbad to the upper echelons of success. Billing itself as a “top-shelf cannabis brand” — poised to go up against such brands as...