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If you’re of a particular age, the movie “Space Jam” brings on a bit of nostalgia. From seeing NBA legends in their prime on-court era to a multi-verse collision between reality and cartoon land, the 1996 film is considered a classic among many. Beyond the lead acting from NBA legend Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, “Space Jam” also has an all-star-led soundtrack that gives life to pivotal moments in the film. One of the songs from that era was Seal’s “Fly Like an Eagle.” But Seal’s hit-making capabilities didn’t start or end with his contribution to the film’s soundtrack. Seal was born on the outskirts of London, England, and began performing in local clubs to escape his impoverished childhood. According to Britannica, Seal used those early moments of singing and songwriting to build his name, leading to a 1987 production deal. However, it was not until 1990, when his song “Killer” with Adamski (Adam Tinley) became a hit, that Seal would get his major break. The song received...
As maternal mortality rates continue to skyrocket amongst Black and Brown communities, the need for medical accountability continues to increase. The Irth app, to that end, hopes to bridge the gap between accountability and communication. According to Black News, the NYC-based and Black woman-owned app — which is now available in the Google Play and Apple app stores — has a specific aim in mind: to target racism and bias in health care. The company says their name is inspired by the word “birth,” but without the “b” for “bias.” Irth was founded by Kimberly Seales Allers, a former senior editor at Essence, a five-time author, and a maternal health advocate. For her, it was most important for doctors and other health care providers to be accountable in how they treat their Black and Brown patients — and if they couldn’t be, then it was up to the public to make them. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Irth (@theirthapp) “When I had my first child, I asked white co-workers...
There’s a huge demand for spaces dedicated to diverse communities. People of color and Black innovators have long since grown tired of the lack of inclusion in the professional space, and many are taking matters into their own hands. When opportunity is not present, it calls for changes to be made, and in today’s landscape of young professionals, it’s very much needed. Two millennial entrepreneurs wanted to create a space for Black leaders, but instead of fighting for a seat at the table, these optimistic innovators decided to build their own. Philly natives Rashaad Lambert and Vinasia Miles had a common goal in mind when they created For(bes) the Culture, which stemmed from their shared experiences at the 2017 Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston, MA. “There weren’t a lot of people of color in attendance, but there also weren’t a lot of things geared toward people of color,” Lambert said. “We were invited but not included.” Miles often uses the analogy “there were only a few pepper...
Content creator and director Jourdan Guyton does not believe in the word “no.” Throughout her career as an actress and content creator for network television, she longed to see programs that reflected the stories and the faces of women who looked like her. Tired of waiting, she decided to take the reins. Guyton and a former colleague from her television past joined forces to explore programming beyond network television. In 2017, the pair launched “Two Grown,” a web series that explores the hijinks of two young women of color experiencing the personal and professional highs and lows of life in New York. “The web series space leaves room for full and vast credibility. You can tell stories that aren’t limited the way they are in mainstream media. It’s a powerful platform for people of color, because it’s not limited in space or duration,” according to Guyton. When “Two Grown” began, the two co-creators took on multiple roles in front of and behind the camera, along with a small crew....
The Deion Sanders contract extension is officially signed, sealed, and worth a staggering $54 million. The University of Colorado has locked in “Coach Prime” for five more years, reportedly placing him as the No. 4 highest-paid college football coach in the nation, Sports Illustrated reported. Following two seasons of massive impact both on and off the field, Sanders’ new deal cements Colorado’s commitment to his leadership and vision. The updated Deion Sanders contract will pay him $10 million annually in 2025 and 2026, increase to $11 million in 2027 and 2028, and rise to $12 million in 2029. Deion Sanders’ Contract Extension Reflects Colorado’s Investment In The Program’s Future According to CBS Sports, Sanders was previously ranked 38th in coaching salaries with an annual income of $5.7 million. Now, his $10.8 million average yearly salary puts him in fourth place, according to DNVR reporter Scott Procter, per SI. He’s listed behind the University of Georgia’s Kirby Smart at No....
Issa Rae proudly represents her home state as a powerhouse actress, producer, and entrepreneur. The Los Angeles, CA, native, well known for her rise from “ Awkward Black Girl” to “Insecure” continues to stretch herself in new ways. “ One of Them Days,” featuring SZA and Keke Palme r, made its way to the big screen in 2025, marking Rae’s first feature film released under her production company, Hoorae. According to Variety and Collider, the film made $22.2 million after its first two weekends, including the extended Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Issa Rae (@issarae) Just a few months earlier, Rae made a new dent in the hospitality space, opening Somerville in South Los Angeles, a restaurant offering a “progressive American dining experience.” This marked her second food and drinks venture, as she had expanded Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen to the city in 2023, per Forbes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Issa Rae (@issarae) Rae has...
Addressing the talent gap is essential to mitigating cybersecurity risks effectively. The United States has seen a wave of cybersecurity attacks over the years. In 2024, The Guardian reported that Volt Typhoon, a Chinese hacking group, infiltrated the networks of critical infrastructure organizations, including aviation, rail, mass transit, highways, maritime, pipelines, water, and sewage systems. U.S. intelligence revealed that the group had maintained access to some victim IT environments for over five years. Among the high-profile incidents, MGM Resorts faced a staggering $100 million loss. They were hit with cybersecurity attacks, leading them to shut down their systems in September 2023 “to mitigate risk to customer information,” according to NBC News. This meant workers could not access company emails, slot machines were inaccessible, and some customers could no longer enter their hotel rooms. Despite these measures, the hackers were still able to retrieve sensitive...
Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Metta World Peace, has entered the world of venture capital by launching his own VC firm. The former Los Angeles Lakers player expanded his focus to the VC sector after retiring from the NBA in 2017 after 17 seasons in the league. According to Sportico, Sandiford-Artest pursued a deeper understanding of private equity and finance by enrolling in digital analytics courses and working toward a master’s degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “I told people that I didn’t want my face to add value,” Artest told Sportico. “I wanted that to be my word and my (mind). That took a long time. There’s just so much that goes into that, especially how people perceive you. You’ll go into a meeting (before) and they’re just waiting to talk basketball.” In December 2024, Artest launched Tru Skye Ventures — in partnership with former Boost Mobile CEO Stephen Stokols. The collaboration builds on their existing business relationship, which...
Elon Musk forcibly revealed X’s shareholders. The Hollywood Reporter mentions that Musk, who acquired Twitter in October 2022 for a reported $44 billion and later renamed it X, is facing a lawsuit that former employees of Twitter have filed stating he has not honored their employee contracts. As part of that proceeding, X initially shared a redacted list of company investors in 2023. NBC News notes that releasing a list that reflects investors in a company is common practice. However, journalist Jacob Silverman pushed for the full list to be shared publicly, with the aid of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), and a motion was filed to request that X’s full records be revealed in July 2024. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, X was told to share a more detailed list of its investors due to an order from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco, CA, stating that X “did not show good cause” to hide its list from the public, according to RCFP. “The Court GRANTS the...
Dr. Tiara Moore has created a community for Black marine scientists. She was born in Philadelphia, PA, and at 18 months, she and her grandmother moved to South Carolina after her mother was sent to spend time behind bars. “She moved us to get us basically out of harm’s way,” Dr. Moore explained to AFROTECH™. Dr. Moore grew up with her grandmother’s children in a modest household. She spent some of her days reading various books, nurturing her interest in education. She also credits “The Cosby Show” with inspiring her to become a doctor. Interest In Marine Biology And Environmental Science Dr. Moore attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, on a full-ride scholarship and majored in biology with the goal of becoming a pre-med student. However, the reality of being a doctor working in a standard practice settled in, and she decided to pivot to marine and environmental science. “I realized, probably not even a year or two in, that I didn’t like it at all. I didn’t really like the...
Issa Rae has landed a deal with a major retailer. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Rae joined forces with Hannah Diop’s Sienna Naturals in 2020, becoming a co-founder of the haircare line focused on Afro-textured hair. Per its website, Sienna Naturals uses Rooted Technology in its formulations to restore hair health beginning with the scalp. “It is our clean technology promise to our textured hair community. The result is a clean haircare formula with performance superior to that of conventional haircare,” the company website mentioned. Now, the company will be able to reach more individuals in the textured hair community after securing a deal with Sephora to sell its products on the cosmetic retailer’s online store, a press release sent to AFROTECH™ mentioned. “We are excited to partner with Sephora to make Sienna Naturals even more accessible for consumers,” said CEO and co-founder Diop, per the press release. “Our mission is to empower everyone to embrace their natural hair with...
Rick Ross is auctioning off items for a good cause. According to Billboard, the rapper is teaming up with Julien’s Auctions to host Push It to the Limit: Luxury and Lifestyle, a two-day event held June 25-26 live and online with 800 items up for grabs. People mentions items such as Ross’ exclusive collection of street and contemporary art, designer wear, rare sneakers, and music memorabilia like Michael Jackson’s sealed “ONE” by Cirque du Soleil light-up glove , and more. Specific items include the Air Jordan Retro 5 “University of Michigan Fab 5” PEs (estimated value, $2,000-$3,000); Air Maxes (est. $1,000-$2,000); DJ Khaled “Father of Asahd” Air Jordans (est. $3,000-$5,000) and Virgil Abloh Off-White collaborations (est. $500-$700); Versace silk shirts (est. $500-$700); and designer sunglasses and varsity jackets (est. $200-$500); among others, per Billboard. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julien's Auctions (@juliens_auctions) What’s more, in partnership with The...
Not all hope was lost for Sydney Newton, who was laid off from her job during the height of COVID-19. The Afro reports Newton had previously worked as a server at The Capital Grille in Baltimore, MD. To occupy her time following the job loss, she focused on educating her children while they were completing their studies virtually, and she began making ice cream. It started with delivering sweet treats to family before Newton branched into drop-off orders for locals. “They loved it, and I did too. I loved that you could do so many things with ice cream. You can experiment with flavors, textures, smells and colors,” Newton said, according to the outlet. “We started delivering the ice cream to my sister and my mom, and they told me I should put it on Instagram to deliver it to more people, and we did.” Newton then began consistently serving customers in Northeast Baltimore’s Belair-Edison neighborhood two days a week through the creation of Sydney’s Ice Creams. Now, she is looking to...
Zachary Wallace is intertwining his passion for both food and music to grow in the business realm. Andscape reports Wallace was a contributing songwriter for some of the culture’s classic hits, which include songs such as “Goodies” and “Get It Shawty.” His pen has also led to him working with artists Nelly, CeeLo Green, and Jeezy. Nowadays, Wallace’s musical preferences are linked to the enjoyment of a delicious meals at his Atlanta, GA, restaurant. As the founder of Local Green, Wallace offers menu items such as 3 Stack Cauliflower Tacos commemorating André 3000, and even sandwiches in honor of albums released by T.I. and Hip-Hop group Goodie Mob. His transition into the food industry can best be explained as a personal awakening to prioritize his health. While he was living big in Atlanta, racking up publishing checks and platinum plaques, Wallace was also neglecting his health and putting on weight. He would spend many late nights at the club or studio and enjoyed whatever foods...
If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. That was the case for these Black women, who teamed up with friends to launch a cannabis company. Chicago Reader reports Grow Greater Englewood Executive Director Anton Seals Jr. was joined by Harvard Law School grad and entrepreneur J.T. Stinnette, the group’s wellness officer Jamaal Kendrick, restaurant owner Chris “Dough” Fryison, and additional silent partners to launch Organic Urban Revitalization Solutions (OURS) in 2019. Their collective aim is to introduce a “culture-driven urban brand” in Illinois, with the overarching goal of enhancing Black and brown communities by setting a higher standard for equity within the cannabis sector, their company website mentions.