Meta is remaining committed to uplifting and supporting Black-owned businesses. In the first-ever Meta Elevate HBCU Hackathon, the company had an event that allowed computer science and engineering students to get hands-on experience working side by side with Meta engineers and employees as they take care of real-world problems faced by Black-owned businesses. “Black-owned small businesses have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic with higher closure rates and lost sales,” said Irene Walker, Meta Elevate Program Director, in an interview with AfroTech. “In an effort to help solve the problems these businesses are facing, we’re excited to kick off the Meta Elevate HBCU Hackathon. We’re excited to partner with HBCUs to provide an opportunity for students to join us in creating solutions to support Black-owned small businesses.”