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Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are all the rave right now for the private sector and nonprofit organizations. And while everyone is seemingly treating DEI as the proverbial popular kid in school, many strategies that have been implemented are working to create more just and equitable cultures. Although there is evidence of intentional work being done to increase diversity at companies, the ever-evolving nature of the job market has created certain norms, pushing diversity to the forefront. For the folks at Facebook, implementing remote work increased their diversity metrics. According to The Washington Post, since Facebook implemented a more liberal remote policy, the company saw noticeable increases in employee representation. Between 2021 and 2022, the tech company grew among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial employees. Its number of white employees decreased by 1.5 percent. The increase in minority employment also applied to its leadership group. A...
Quavo Huncho is bringing the smoke to his hometown of Atlanta — literally. The rapper, born Quavious Keyate Marshall, has partnered with Smoke World Co. to disrupt the stigma associated with the industry. This is the first significant partnership for the company, which provides consumers with the best products, customer service, and build-outs, all while encouraging safe consumption. “Quavo is not only my brother but a leader and pinnacle in the community. We’ve been working on this partnership for a while and are glad to share it with the world,” said a spokesperson for Smoke World Co. in an official release of the news. “We’re acquiring ownership in the same communities we grew up in and educating the youth.”
Jrue and Lauren Holiday have announced the third round of funding for Black-owned businesses that totals $1 million in a press release. It is a continuation of NBA Champion Jrue Holiday’s pledge during the 2019-2020 season to donate a portion of his salary to the JLH Social Impact Fund. As previously reported by AfroTech, the JLH Social Impact Fund was created by the couple to serve as support for underrepresented communities not only through monetary resources but mentorship and other services that are needed to scale a business. “We are so excited to announce our third round of grant funding to these very deserving Black-owned businesses and nonprofits, who are helping their communities thrive,” said Jrue and Lauren Holiday in a statement. “Every year we grow our extended JLH family with the hope of shining a light on the need, but also to be an example of how real change occurs when you invest directly in the communities and the people who are underserved.”
Gina Belafonte is someone who walks the walk and talks the talk. As the executive director of Sankofa, she’s combining the arts and activism to carry on her father’s legacy. Though initially starting out as an actress, Gina Belafonte is now focusing her efforts on the organization her father started and choosing to focus her efforts on larger social justice causes. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t use entertainment to get her point across. On March 1, HB95 — a celebration of Harry Belafonte’s 95th birthday — will be a star-studded event that will take place at the Town Hall Theater in New York City. Proceeds will benefit Sankofa, whose mission “educates, motivates, and activates artists and allies in service of grassroots movements and equitable change,” per the organization’s official website. Their outreach is, of course, grassroots in nature — they work with local partners to amplify their message, but their amplification involves some of the biggest names in the entertainment...
Facebook just may be getting a facelift …literally. As the social media network looks to focus on building the metaverse, there’s speculation that the company will change its name as early as next week, The Verge reports. The name change is said to be announced during next Thursday’s annual Connect conference, but sources say that it could be unveiled sooner to signal the tech giant’s desire to go beyond just the social media ills that it is known for. “We will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an interview with The Verge back in July. Per reports, the rebrand will position the blue Facebook app at the forefront of the products that work under the parent company overseeing various groups which include Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and more. Facebook has also done the work to launch its greater focus on the next generation of technology. Over the summer, the company set...
When six-year-old Esi Orijin was in private school, she was one of the only Black girls in her class. As a result, she began to lack self-confidence — and it wasn’t long before she began to dislike the texture of her hair and the color of her skin. According to Black News, that’s when her mother, Melissa, stepped in — and together, they founded Orijin Bees, a one-of-a-kind doll line that celebrates Black girls of all shades, shapes, and sizes. Aside from Orijin being the family last name, “Orijin Bees” stands for “Our Representation is Just Inclusion Normalized, Beautifully Empowering Every Soul.” They also have a program called the GetONE GiftONE program, which means that for each person that purchases a doll, another little girl will get a doll as a gift. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Orijin Bees ™️ (@orijinbees) “As a company, Orijin Bees has and continues to gift dolls to different organizations and individuals,” said Melissa Orijin on the company’s website....
Many people have dreams and ideas, but how can they transform them into a viable business? For most budding entrepreneurs, the answer is found in funding and other opportunities designed to level the playing field. In an effort to facilitate that transformation, financial services and mobile payment company Cash App sponsored the 2020 AfroTech World’s Young Founders Pitch Competition. Gaining steam as a must-attend event, this competition provides young entrepreneurs and founders the chance to formally pitch their businesses, and rising startup Undelay secured their spot as the winner — earning a grand prize of $25,000 in the process. Founded by Safir Monroe, Undelay has secured a creative niche by developing proprietary technology that converts hundreds of radio conversations into text simultaneously. According to the company, “With this data, airports and travel companies can find out if a flight will be delayed a significant amount of time before that delay is reported.” This...
As a result of the overt racial injustice in the U.S., a major push to #BuyBlack has gained fresh energy. The news cycle is on overdrive with Black businesses you should support. While there have been several lists of Black-owned businesses to pop up across Instagram and Twitter, there are some forgotten companies that have a Black founder at the helm unknowingly. Some owners are just super low-key while some brands boast such diverse and inclusive marketing that it’s easy to miss whose in charge. Here are eight well-known beauty, fashion, and food businesses that you didn’t know were Black-owned. Briogeo Hair Care Often seen while scrolling through the Sephora app or YouTube hair tutorials, Briogeo is a clean-ingredient collection founded by Nancy Twine. The daughter of a chemist, Twine learned to make beauty products from scratch at a young age. Later, the University of Virginia alumna used that knowledge combined with her finance degree to launch a customizable line for several...
One year following the release of her Emmy award-winning “When They See Us” docu-series, Ava DuVernay is continuing conversations centered around social justice with the launch of a new online learning platform called “ARRAY 101.” According to The Hollywood Reporter , ARRAY 101 — launched by DuVernay’s multiplatform media company and arts collective ARRAY — is an online education initiative created to educate those who watch the company’s films and television series. DuVernay’s company is a culmination of “entertainment and socially conscious education,” Fast Company reports . “We’re going back into the catalog, creating very deep learning companions to help people elevate their understanding of what they’ve watched and go further to use the work as a springboard into deeper understanding,” DuVernay said. “As opposed to something you watched and felt bad about and just kept going.” In partnership with Participant , ARRAY 101’s focus for their first learning guide will be on “When...