Blue Origin has birthed a full-circle moment for former Air Force Captain and Kansas City, KS, native Ed Dwight. Back in 1961, Dwight made history as he was selected by President John F. Kennedy as the first Black astronaut candidate in the U.S., according to a news release. However, after completing the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) and receiving a recommendation from the U.S. Air Force to move forward, he wasn’t selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps and missed out on the chance to fly to space. Now, six decades later, Dwight is set to be on board for Blue Origin’s latest New Shepard mission to space — marking its seventh human flight and 25th program to date — the news release details. What’s more, his seat is sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation. Before being selected for Blue Origin’s space mission, Dwight went from an early career as an entrepreneur to sculpting monuments that commemorate Black historical leaders...

Over the years, Shaquille O’Neal has reigned as one of the most successful basketball stars turned entrepreneurs. As the business mogul has been consistently making moves, he found guidance along the way from one of the most well-known entrepreneurs.

Shaquille O’Neal may have had a change of heart. As AfroTech previously told you, Shaquille O’Neal backed down on his bid for the Phoenix Suns after realizing he would be in competition with Jeff Bezos. “I was open [to the idea of purchasing the team] until I saw the initials JB. Let me tell you something, you don’t mess with James Brown, you don’t mess with Jeff Bezos,” he said on The Big Podcast. “When the boys come on stage, get your ass and go. So, Jeff said he wants it and a couple of other heavy hitters said they want it. I’m not even gonna put my name in the bucket on this one. I’m not.”

In a recent move by MacKenzie Scott, the culture is one step closer to health equity and diversifying the health fields for people who look like us. According to ESSENCE, Scott donated $12 million to National Medical Fellowships (NMF), the organization helping to create health equity by providing scholarships for medical students who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). “NMF is deeply grateful that MacKenzie Scott has recognized the impactful work we have been doing for more than 75 years to advance health equity by providing scholarships to students underrepresented in medicine,” says NMF Board of Directors Chair and alumna Sandra B. Nichols, MD, FAAFP, MHCDS, MS. “This gift sends a message to these students who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. It tells them they are needed, welcomed, and will be supported as they work to attain their degrees so they may transform the health care system into one that serves all communities equally.”

Billionaire Robert F. Smith could be making history in the near future. According to Bleacher Report, the Denver Broncos could be up for sale in the NFL offseason. If indeed, the Broncos go up for sale, Smith has expressed an interest in bidding on the team. The Broncos are reportedly worth $3.75 billion. “If Denver is put up for sale, it will likely be through an auction because it is under the Patrick D. Bowlen Trust,” reports the outlet, who added that the sale of the team would benefit the seven Bowlen children. What’s more, the outlet confirms that as part of the deal with the trust, the beneficiaries of the trust would have to honor the highest bid for the team. “If the team is put up for sale, a legal source familiar with the Broncos’ ownership transition told 9News that it would likely be through auction because the team is under the Patrick D. Bowlen Trust umbrella,” Denver’s 9News reported. “This means the trustees would have a fiduciary responsibility to the trust’s...

TV host Michael Strahan is going from live on-air to live in space. On Nov. 23, Strahan announced on “Good Morning America” that he will be one of six passengers to board Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space flight that is scheduled for Dec. 9. Strahan shared with his co-hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos that he has been in total preparation for the human spaceflight launch by getting fitted for his flight suit, testing out his flight seat and will soon be on his way to Van Horn, TX for more training. “Blue Origin – they approached me and they asked if I wanted to be a crew member and without hesitation, I said ‘yes,'” Strahan said on “Good Morning America. “I wanted to go to space!” Strahan continued: “It’s going to take a while, but I do believe it will bring a lot of technological breakthroughs and also innovations to us here on earth…and I just wanted to be a part of it.” Variety reports that the upcoming launch will be the first time a Blue Origin flight has operated at a...

Amoako Boafo has work that is out of this world…literally. CBS News reports that Ghanaian artist, Amoako Boafo, can now celebrate the official launch of his artwork in outer space. That’s right, the artists’ had three paintings that went into orbit on the most recent space mission launched by billionaire Jeff Bezos. After a successful launch into space for the Amazon founder a month ago, Blue Origin officially sent off suborbital spacecraft, New Shepard, on Thursday, Aug. 26. The spacecraft was not only equipped with Boafo’s artwork, but also included NASA lunar landing technology along with 18 additional research payloads.

Talk about a surprise of a lifetime! According to a press release provided to AfroTech, Amazon just surprised 100 inspiring computer science students looking to take their education and future career to the next level with scholarships. Among thousands of applicants, the winners will all receive $40,000 scholarships to study computer science at a university of their choice along with paid internships at the world’s leading online marketplace upon the completion of their freshman year of college. Students like Samuel Hill will receive the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship and has goals to pursue a computer science degree at the University of Southern Mississippi starting in the fall. Currently, Hill is a residential student at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, MS. A Mississippi native, Hill grew up in the small town of Laurel where he has developed a passion for helping other Missipppians tap into the rapidly growing market for computer science...