According to the Associated Press, Atlanta, GA-based venture capital firm Fearless Fund “faced tough questions from conservative judges” on Wednesday, Jan. 31, as it fought for its grant program to further support Black-women-owned businesses. As AFROTECH previously told you, Fearless Fund was hit with a lawsuit by Edward Blum and his American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) group in August 2023 on the basis that the fund was carrying out “explicit racial exclusion” and violated the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

PepsiCo and the National Urban League (NUL) are teaming up to provide financial support for Black-owned restaurants. According to a press release, the global food and beverage (F&B) leader has formed a partnership with the NUL to launch their Black Restaurant Accelerator Program, which has pledged to give 500 Black restaurant owners in 12 U.S. cities a total of $10 million over the next five years. Both entities’ support comes about following a tumultuous year for small Black-owned businesses that were impacted by the pandemic. “As the pandemic exposed existing disparities many minority business owners face, we saw a fundamental threat that could erase the decades of progress Black-owned restaurants have made,” C.D. Glin — Vice President, Global Head of Philanthropy at The PepsiCo Foundation — said in a statement. “This investment will help Black restaurateurs not only recover from the pandemic but set them on a path to long-term economic resilience. We are inspired by the progress...

Instagram’s @design and the Brooklyn Museum are partnering to announce their inaugural grant program that’s empowering Black creatives this year. The #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program officially launched today as part of a joint effort to amplify, center and invest in the Black design community. Founded with a mission to create an open, inclusive and safe space that’s inspiring for all, Instagram’s @design strives to uplift the emerging talent amongst Black designers whose work embodies the platform’s core design values. “@design is committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and championing inclusivity and accessibility, which is why we’re delighted to launch #BlackDesignVisionaries,” Ian Spalter — Instagram’s Head of Design — said in a press statement. “We hope that the craft, passion, and creativity of our grant committee and partners, as well as Instagram’s design values, will inspire designers to share their dreams with us.” The #BlackDesignVisionaries program will award...

The NBA Foundation has announced a second round to distribute funds from its $3 million grant program to help generate more career and employment opportunities in Black communities as well as use its influence to drive economic empowerment. “The grants will enhance and build upon the important work of these national and local organizations that align with the NBA Foundation’s mission to provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development for high school, college-aged, job-ready and mid-career individuals in Black communities across the United States and Canada,” the league told CNBC. According to an announcement from the NBA, nine organizations have been selected to join the foundation’s second grant round — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, Braven, Center for Leadership Development, City Year, CodeCrew, The Collective Blueprint, NAF, New Heights Youth and Road to Hire. Following the high-profile murders of individuals like George Floyd last year, teams from...

Black businesswomen have been the highlight of Women’s History Month this year, and now one of the music industry’s brightest stars is pitching in to help support these women. Grammy-nominated artist Brent Faiyaz has launched a new grant program alongside his latest music video, “Show U Off,” to pledge support toward today’s Black women entrepreneurs making moves. The Show U Off grant program is offering $50,000 in funds to these Black businesswomen as a small investment in their professional ventures. Qualified applicants for the grant program must record and submit a one-minute video introducing themselves and their business/startup, discussing any challenges their business has encountered and how the grant money will help support them. Courtesy Graphic Video submissions should be sent to showuoff@thehintongroup.co by 1 p.m. EST on March 16. Five winners will then be selected and announced by Brent and his team next week. Check out the newly released music video below:

SheaMoisture is extending grace to Black women creatives in honor of Women’s History Month this year with the introduction of the Emerging Visionary Grant — a program dedicated to supporting women who are using their art to make a difference in their communities. The Emerging Visionary Grant — a $50,000 funded opportunity — is meant to amplify the voices of modern Black women and  “empower and nurture the change makers who are creating history while servicing their communities.” The grant program — in partnership with cultural education platform Good Mirrors — is open to Black women artists, filmmakers, writers, and more across other creative areas. The ideal candidate is a creator who’s in the process of building up their influence in their community and has an existing platform filled with work that showcases how they’re uplifting it. Courtesy Photo Applications for the grant program close today, and those interested can apply here. A judging panel comprised of Good Mirrors and...

As many Black business owners continue to face financial hurdles amid the pandemic, more major companies are pledging their support through funding programs and ongoing initiatives. This week, American Express announced the launch of a newly formed group called the Coalition to Back Black Businesses . With the announcement came a $10 million commitment to fund a grant program in support of small Black business recovery in America over the next four years, a press release reports . View this post on Instagram A post shared by American Express (@americanexpress) In a one-of-a-kind collaboration with four major Black chambers — U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., National Business League, National Black Chamber of Commerce and Walker’s Legacy — American Express plans to support efforts to help get Black businesses back in good financial standing to keep them afloat. Black communities across the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of the pandemic, with Black businesses...