Showing 78 results for:
black-girls
Popular topics
All results
By age 6, children already begin to associate boys with greater aptitude in STEM fields, including computer science and engineering, compared to girls. Such beliefs among girls tend to become deeply ingrained over time. The 74 reported these reports stem from an analysis conducted by the American Institutes for Research, released Monday. This comprehensive review examined nearly 100 studies across 33 countries. David Miller, the lead author and a senior researcher who launched the project five years ago, emphasized that without efforts to address such perceptions, girls may turn away from “fast-growing tech fields like artificial intelligence .” In elementary school, girls comprise about half of the students enrolled in foundational computer science courses. However, the participation drops to 44% in middle school and decreases to 33% in high school, according to The 74. Miller noted that these findings have significant implications for girls’ decisions regarding high school course...
Charles Barkley is fulfilling his commitment to a school that has ties to a historic math discovery. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson, who attended St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans, LA, at the time, found an alternative way to solve the Pythagorean Theorem during their senior year. Without using circular reasoning, they were still able to use trigonometry, which had puzzled mathematicians for over 2,000 years. “Calcea and Ne’Kiya explained it to me like this: Basically, trigonometry is based on Pythagoras’ Theorem (A^2 + B^2 = C^2, sound familiar?), so using trigonometry to prove Pythagoras’ Theorem is what’s known as circular logic,” mentioned WWL-TV 4 reporter Sam Winstrom. The young prodigies had come to this conclusion following a math contest held at their school, which was attached to a $500 incentive. “There was a bonus question that was to create a new proof of the Pythagorean Theorem,” Johnson told PEOPLE. “Ne’Kiya and I were the only...
Jehron Petty isn’t just talking the talk — he’s leading by example when making the technology space more equitable and diverse. Upon graduating from Cornell University with a degree in computer science in May 2020, Petty prepared to step into a career in corporate America, but life had other plans. Although he received an offer as an associate product manager at Google, his deep desire to build up his community lingered. It was not long before he gave up the Google opportunity to found ColorStack, a startup technology company on a mission to increase the number of Black and Latinx computer science graduates who go on to start rewarding technical careers. “So I studied computer science at Cornell. I also like to help people naturally; my first instinct when in a group or a space is, ‘How can I help?’ And so the combination of those two things led me to be a very involved mentor while I was in school,” Petty shared in an interview with AFROTECH™. “I noticed other computer science...
Samyr Laine took a page from Roc Nation’s investment book and is now helping other startups. Laine, a Harvard graduate who roomed with Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, is behind Freedom Trail Capital, an investment firm backing “fully functioning, well operated, effectively managed and revenue generating businesses,” its website mentions. The firm was established in 2023 alongside his wife, Ayanna Alexander-Laine. The couple-turned-founders also share history in the sports world as former track and field Olympians, with him representing Haiti and she, Trinidad and Tobago. “I love people and connecting with people,” Alexander-Laine told TechCrunch. “We know how to merge talent and business and found that athletes are good in these spaces. We also have the stamina to conquer other things and other entities outside of sports.” Freedom Trail Capital, featuring Ivan Lopez as a third general partner, has funded seven startups, including Issa Rae’s Sienna Naturals and Ciara’s Ten to One...
12-year-old Zoe Oli is making history with Target! As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she is the genius behind Beautiful Curly Me, a doll company empowering young Black girls. The company stemmed from a lack of confidence she had with her natural hair at the age of 6, comparing it to the straight hair her classmates had. Even after her mother purchased her a Black doll, Oli could not help but notice the doll still did not have her textured hair. So by the age of 7, she officially became an entrepreneur. “My mom got me a Black doll that looked like me to help, and it really did but I noticed that the doll did not have hair that looked like mine and I wanted dolls with curls and braids, so when she went back to the stores couldn’t find any,” Oli explained during ForbesBLK Summit 2024. “I decided that I wanted to make my own business and do something about it, and that’s how I got started.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beautiful Curly Me (@beautifulcurlyme) Oli hopes to...
Google is awarding Black and Latino startup founders who are disrupting the artificial intelligence (AI) space. The tech giant established the Google for Startups Founders Funds to ensure Black and Latino entrepreneurs receive financial assistance and necessary support to influence multiple sectors. According to information provided to AFROTECH™, each recipient will receive $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards and $100,000 in Google Cloud credits. Recipients also receive mental health resources and mentorship from Google’s experts across AI and sales. This is Google’s fifth year in funding, and it has allocated more than $50 million t o 570 Black and Latino founders. Moreover, founders who received funding support have later secured more than $590 million in additional investments. Google has unveiled its latest round of recipients, whose work encompasses using AI in preventative wildfires, keeping fast fashion out of landfills, and education. The 2024 Google for Startups cohort...
Former Atlanta Hawks player Dominique Wilkins is attaching himself to a winning cause. According to a news release, the NBA Hall of Famer is now committing his focus to Roots, an Atlanta, GA-based real estate company that offers a model benefiting investors and renters. Per its website, the company will purchase, manage, and rent homes to renters. From there individuals can become investors, and the renters can also opt in if they comply by paying their rent on time and maintaining the property. Since Roots’ launch in 2021, it has raised $33 million from over 6,000 investors to support its mission. Wilkins is now among its investors and also serves as the company’s partner and spokesperson. His intention behind supporting the brand is to create more opportunity in real estate for those frequently marginalized. Looking ahead, Wilkins’ work with the company will include using his likeness in videos and at gatherings to promote Roots and its “Live in it Like You Own it®” proprietary...
50 Cent claims his social accounts fell victim to a cryptocurrency scheme. Fox News reports the rapper’s X account had been hacked to promote a cryptocurrency token called $GUNIT. The token’s name suggests his former Hip-Hop group G-Unit. On Friday, June 21, 2024, the scammer allegedly wrote on 50 Cent’s account, “$GUNIT for winners only…” Complex reports 50 Cent’s Instagram account included screenshots of the $GUNIT crypto, which showed under $1 million in market value, and that number quickly increased. The message gained popularity, accumulating 57,000 likes on June 22 and drawing hundreds of users to the comments section, with some even making purchases. Despite this, 50 Cent stated he was not associated with the venture, and his accounts were later locked, Fox News notes. 50 Cent claims the hacker made $3 million within 30 minutes from the scam. It’s not possible to verify 50 Cent’s assertions, nor is there a way to confirm if the hacker earned the alleged $3 million. “My...
Keith Lee has been amplifying Black-owned restaurants with his viral food reviews on TikTok. In an interview with AFROTECH™ in 2023, the viral food critic discussed increasing the visibility of local Black-owned restaurants in the U.S. “Just to be able to be on a scale where people see the hard work that’s put in because a lot of times these restaurants have great food and great customer service, but they just don’t have the eyes on them,” Lee told AFROTECH™. “I think it’s just gonna be so dope to allow these restaurants to have the platform that they deserve.” For 2024, Lee has a new partnership to create efficiency for Black-owned businesses. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Lee has teamed up with Microsoft to provide restaurateurs with AI tools to help their businesses thrive. In 2021, two-thirds of Black-owned businesses had fewer than 10 employees, per Pew Research Center . Lee and Microsoft aim to tackle the barrier through the efficacy and growth that AI...
Bob Marley’s legacy continues to stand the test of times. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the Bob Marley family is collaborating with premiere cannabis brand Jeeter to launch a limited edition Jeeter x Bob Marley “One Love” Unity Joint. The venture is in alignment with the late singer who often smoked weed for its spiritual and medicinal properties as a Rastafarian, GQ reports. To bring the product to the public, Jeeter and the Marley family took a trip to Nine Mile, Bob’s birthplace located in Jamaica, where the team immersed themselves in the culture and music. Additionally, the Marley family worked closely with Jeeter to assist with the strain and packaging to ensure the final product was authentic to Bob’s legacy. “Jeeter’s work in the cannabis space has been incredible,” expressed Cedella Marley, Bob’s daughter and CEO of Bob Marley Group of Companies. “Cannabis culture and the Marley movement go hand in hand. Jeeter’s deep dive into Jamaican culture has been...
Charles Barkley is inspired by students Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson who made history with their mathematics discovery. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Johnson and Jackson attended St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic school located in New Orleans, LA, and are responsible for finding a new way to solve the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry without circular logic, which had been a mystery for many mathematicians for 2,000 years. WWL-TV 4 reporter Sam Winstrom spoke to the pair in March 2023 about their accomplishment. Per his report, “Calcea and Ne’Kiya explained it to me like this: Basically, trigonometry is based on Pythagoras’ Theorem (A^2 + B^2 = C^2, sound familiar?), so using trigonometry to prove Pythagoras’ Theorem is what’s known as circular logic.” Johnson, who is now a freshman at Louisiana State University, spoke to the university ahead of an interview she and Jackson had with “60 Minutes” on May 5, 2024. Johnson revealed to LSU that their discovery was...
Mary J. Blige’s fans have been asking her for a boot collection for years. Now, the music legend has delivered on her promise. In May 2023, the “Good Morning Gorgeous” singer exclusively shared with AFROTECH™ that her signature boot line was on the way. “It’s in the works,” Blige told AFROTECH™ at the time . “For some reason, this is taking longer than everything else, but we’re gonna get there. Trust me. Everything else is here so that’s on its way.” The time has officially arrived as Blige teamed up with Giuseppe Zanotti in May 2024 for “The Mary Boot.” What’s more, she was a part of the design process. “Giuseppe Zanotti and Mary J. Blige have transformed their longtime friendship into an exclusive, limited-edition collaboration,” Giuseppe Zanotti shared on its Instagram page. “‘The Mary Boot,’ a stunning over-the-knee boot co-designed by the two talents.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Giuseppe Zanotti (@giuseppezanotti) During the 2024 Strength of a Woman Festival...
Prominent individuals in entertainment are joining forces to provide self-help resources to the Black community. This is being made possible through the inception of ALTR, described as a motivational and self-help app, per the company’s LinkedIn. The platform was co-created by David A. Wilson, founder of TheGrio, and Brandon John-Freso, who serves as the company’s chief technology officer, and is supported through a partnership with Viola Davis and husband Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions. ALTR serves to provide audiobook miniseries that will tend to “the distinct life obstacles faced in the Black community,” Variety reports. These audiobooks will include topics such as: Mental well-being Feelings of isolation Financial stability Spirituality Personal relationships And more “There is a yearning for solutions and knowledge from our cultural perspectives,” Wilson told Variety. “Our authentic voices are lacking in the existing self-help, wellness and educational platforms, which is...
A’ja Wilson does not take the sacrifices of her parents for granted. Growing up, the Las Vegas Aces player credits her dad for encouraging her to practice shots on the court, she tells ESPN. Her father, Roscoe, would make her wear a weighted vest while she scored layups. The South Carolina-born athlete describes this time period as “the hell part” of their relationship, but it also helped to improve her skills. “Left hand, right hand, left hand, right hand,” Roscoe told ESPN. “I’d tell her to always know where her feet should be, don’t bring her hands down below her shoulders. Now, it’s second nature.” A’ja saw her improvement too. “…The heaven part was that as I grew, I started to see my game change. I realized my dad was just being my coach. As I got older and basketball got more serious, I saw that, ‘This man may know some things, A’ja, so I suggest you listen to him.'” Roscoe’s passion for the game was reflected in his own life. While he never made it to the NBA, the former...
Black Girls Code (BGC) is living true to its name. The organization exists to ensure at least 1 million girls of color will establish a presence in the tech industry by 2040 by partnering with schools, individuals who share its mission, and other organizations, a press release mentions. Among its efforts to bolster career paths in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) is providing computer programming education. In October 2023, the organization hired former Salesforce executive Cristina Jones as its CEO. Jones’ experience also includes having worked at Twentieth Century Fox, where she was able to gain further experience within the entertainment sector and technology. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Black Girls Code (@blackgirlscode) Now, in her latest role, the focus is on workforce development and fostering industry partnerships that will help to build the skills of its students and forge career pathways, as previously reported by...