All results
Russell Westbrook has launched an AI startup inspired by the loss of a dear friend. Eazewell According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the Denver Nuggets guard joins Donnell Beverly Jr., a former NCAA National Champion at the University of Connecticut, and Kemba Walker, an NBA All-Star, as co-founders of Eazewell, an AI-enabled funeral planning platform. Westbrook’s inspiration for the company was the loss of Khelcey Barrs III, his best friend who died at 16. Beverly Jr., who had also been a friend of Barrs as well as experienced the loss of both parents, shared that through these difficult times he gained insight into the challenges families face with funeral planning and accessing resources. Eazewell is now working to close this gap through its platform, which leverages 24/7 autonomous AI agents and offers users personalized funeral home-matching based on quotes, location, and individual needs. The platform also automates paperwork for filing death certificates and...
Curtis Lawrence III is set to graduate after making history at his HBCU. At 16 years old, Lawrence’s bright future was solidified after he was accepted into 14 esteemed colleges, which included Harvard University, Yale University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, and University of California Berkeley, as CBS News notes. He also received $1.6 million in scholarships at the time. “We’ve taught them from an early age that education is key to opening up the opportunities and having access to things that they want to life,” his father, Curtis Lawrence Jr., told CBS News. Choosing dual-enrollment for his last two years of high school, Lawrence III started taking both high school and college classes at George Washington University in Washington, DC, in 2019. Doing so at 14 years old, he made history as its youngest freshman, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. In 2021, he continued his studies as a junior at HBCU Florida A&M University (FAMU) and also made...
Acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler, best known for writing and directing such smash hits as “ Black Panther ,” “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station,” has been making waves recently with his new movie “Sinners.” For those who don’t know, “Sinners” has already garnered over $70 million at the box office , despite having just released on Apr. 18. The film also had a very modest marketing push and very little studio support, making its success even more impressive. While “Sinners” has been drawing plenty of eyes from the general public, the behind-the-scenes story of Coogler’s Warner Bros deal has also enraptured creators, filmmakers and Hollywood film buffs alike. In fact, financial analysts have predicted that the “Sinners” deal could be worth millions for generations to come, while some studio insiders have expressed concern that the deal will destabilize the future of the industry if other filmmakers attempt to replicate it. In order to understand exactly what terms are established by Ryan...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Recent viral videos on TikTok by Chinese wholesalers are claiming that luxury handbags and other items are made in China . This is a strong assertion when the trade war between the United States and China has consumers thinking about how much more they will have to pay for everyday items, as well as more frivolous purchases. Luxury goods aren’t as necessary when compared to food, clothes, and certain machinery. However, in recent years, consumer purchasing habits have diverged among various generations. Some Millennials and Gen-Z are focused on splurging on regular items like coffee and little treats, so spending money on big-ticket items has taken a backseat. Even so, while luxury goods have a higher mark-up in price based on brand recognition, many still use quality items to construct their products. For example, Hermés, the French luxury house, does not manufacture its bags in China, according...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Trump’s tariffs have upended multiple industries. For bigger companies like Apple and Microsoft, or fast fashion behemoths like Zara, tariffs can be easily avoided by moving their distribution elsewhere. But for smaller businesses that don’t possess the same infrastructure, they don’t have that ability. Most Americans would agree that manufacturing should come back to the United States. Over the past decades, companies have moved their work abroad to take advantage of lower wages and the lack of unions that protect workers from abuses. In short, it’s easier to take advantage of the cheap labor offered in other countries like China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The whole system is inherently problematic, especially when we look at how workers in the United States are constantly berated and not treated properly. Moving manufacturing back to the states will also mean, unfortunately, that prices for goods...
In 2025, America’s higher education landscape is being reshaped by a wave of federal funding cuts and political pressure from the Trump administration. Universities across the country are under scrutiny, not only for how they handle civil rights issues but also for their participation in diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a result, many schools have already begun scaling back their scholarship offerings , cutting graduate research funding and even laying off staff. This shift marks one of the most significant challenges to U.S. higher education in decades, particularly affecting institutions that rely heavily on federal research grants. With billions of dollars in play and political agendas now influencing financial support, students and faculty alike are facing an uncertain future. The Federal Clampdown On Higher Education (RUT MIIT/Unsplash) The Trump administration’s approach to federal funding has caused ripples across nearly every sector of higher education . Historically,...
Amazon, owned by Jeff Bezos, has placed a bid to acquire TikTok. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the app owned by ByteDance is facing a ban in the United States due to its association with China — although TikTok states it is not tied to the Chinese government. The app will only avoid a ban if it is sold to a company based in the United States. At the time of this writing, ByteDance has shown no interest in selling TikTok, which reaches over 170 million users in the United States, despite the ban’s looming deadline of April 5. The target date was extended by 75 days after Donald Trump signed an executive order upon assuming office on Jan. 20. “We have been fighting to protect the constitutional right of free speech for the more than 170,000,000 Americans who use our platform every day to connect, create, discover, and achieve their dreams,” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said on the platform. “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I wanna thank President...
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...
Virginia Union University (VUU) students can become certified doulas on campus, making it the first historically Black university in the state to offer such a class. On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the private, Richmond, VA-based HBCU announced a partnership with the birth center Birth In Color and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to launch a six-month doula training certification program, according to WRIC Channel 8. VUU’s announcement came just ahead of World Doula Week, which runs from March 22 to March 28, 2025. In an interview with AFROTECH™ , Mama Glow Foundation founder Latham Thomas described a doula as a birth “producer” who provides emotional and physical support, education, and advocacy tools during childbirth. While some people view doulas as less educated or non-compliant, Thomas noted that they are just as important as other healthcare professionals, especially in a society where women, particularly Black women, are expected to advocate for themselves. “Black women...
Entrepreneur Kiara Imani Williams claims she was dropped from Target on short notice. Williams is an attorney with a decade of experience in entertainment law, a writer, and the co-founder of the card game LikeU, which is designed to spark conversations among family and friends. LikeU made its way onto Target shelves during a period when many companies were pledging to support diverse brands as a result of George Floyd being murdered at the hands of police brutality. Williams believed Target’s commitment was genuine and would endure, but has been mistaken. “LikeU cards were born out of the conversations that emerged after George Floyd’s murder—a time when so many people were searching for ways to connect, to listen, and to understand,” Williams said in an email interview with AFROTECH™. “Target made a pledge to support diverse communities at that moment, and it was that commitment that made me believe they were the right fit. But since then, like many other organizations, they’ve...
Fans are flocking to support the music of the late Angie Stone. The Grammy-nominated soul artist and member of The Sequence passed away on March 1, 2025, at 63 years old, according to Variety. Stone was in a car accident with an 18-wheeler while traveling from Montgomery, AL, to Atlanta, GA, causing her vehicle to overturn three times. Of the nine passengers in her van, she was the only one who did not survive. Stone, born in Columbia, SC, is survived by her children Diamond Stone and Michael Archer and her grandchildren. “Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news,” Diamond and Michael said in a statement, the outlet notes. “Our mom is and will always be our everything. We are still trying to process and are completely heartbroken.” Stone leaves behind an imprint that includes her most revered song, 2001’s “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” 10 solo albums, and three Grammy nominations in categories including: best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals...
Issa Rae is applauding those who are upholding DEI efforts. During SXSW 2025 in Austin, TX, the actress, producer, and newest part-owner of San Diego FC participated in a keynote conversation where she shared her thoughts on the evolving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A racial awakening occurred in 2020 following the death of George Floyd due to police brutality. This led to an influx of support and a record-breaking $4.3 billion in venture capital and corporate investments towards Black-owned businesses, per ABC News, as well as a 55% increase in DEI roles created, notes NBC News. As time has gone on, many of these bold commitments around DEI have faded out. This has only worsened due to pressures from conservative groups challenging such efforts in litigation, with some success. Legal wins for the right have included the dismantling of Fearless Fund’s Strivers Grant program, which awarded Black woman-owned businesses, and the...
Tallahassee, FL, is a growing hub for Black businesses, but there is still room for improvement. A survey released by LendingTree reveals that the city has surpassed the national average for Black-owned businesses, notes WUSF. Out of Tallahassee’s 7,828 businesses, 549 are Black-owned. Nationally, 3.3% of businesses are Black-owned as of 2022, which is a 22.2% year-over-year increase. “We found that 7% of businesses in Tallahassee are Black-owned, and that puts Tallahassee tied for 14th among the 50 biggest metros in the country,” Matt Schulz, the chief credit analyst for Lending Tree , remarked, according to the outlet. While Tallahassee’s statistics appear hopeful, considering the area’s Black population, there is still much work to be done. “When you contrast that to the fact that about 32% of the population of the city is Black, there’s a lot of room for growth,” said Schulz. Xclusive VIP Fashions Founder Kenneth Barber commented: “To that point, it becomes a growing pain.”...
Cam Newton is taking his production company to new heights. Founded in 2012, Iconic Saga is a dynamic production company that collaborates with a wide range of clients and brands, delivering non-scripted digital content, scripted series, children’s programming, and animation, according to its LinkedIn profile. The company has worked with prominent names like Nickelodeon, Facebook, and ESPN. Per Boardroom, Newton is strategically aligning all of his creative ventures under the Saga umbrella, including his web series “Funky Friday” and “4th & 1.” “Media is at a very interesting space right now because you have people who are gaining more validation by being able to speak on certain topics, as opposed to the days where somebody can just voice their opinion and say, ‘Okay, boom. That’s the show.’ Well, in this day and age, it is being able to be authentic to what you’re talking about and how you’re talking about it. And we’re seeing more and more creatives or creators create stories,...
Founder Erica Plybeah responded to an inconvenience with an innovative solution that improves the quality of life for patients needing medical transport. Established in 2017, she launched MedHaul to provide safe and reliable non-emergency medical transportation to individuals, regardless of their needs, per her LinkedIn. The company was inspired by her personal challenges in finding dependable transportation for her grandmother’s medical appointments in Memphis, TN, according to its website. Her grandmother has type-2 diabetes with a double-leg amputation. Living in an underserved area also limited access to transportation, and Plybeah wanted to lower this barrier for others, which motivated her to establish MedHaul, a company that works alongside healthcare facilities, research facilities, and community organizations to ensure people have access to medical transportation. Its technology is also helpful for healthcare providers to book medical transportation appointments that can...