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Rep. Kathy Castor spotlighted Black-owned businesses in St. Petersburg, VA, on Juneteenth amid ongoing bureaucratic hurdles, such as limited access to capital, systemic bias , barriers to business networks, and discriminatory lending practices. Castor led a bus tour on Thursday, organized with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), visiting local businesses, including Community Tech House, Successful Futures Tutoring Services, and Central Station Barbershop and Grooming, according to The St. Pete Catalyst. “We want to spend our Juneteenth out there telling their stories and encouraging our neighbors to support them,” Castor said. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, exacerbating the digital divide in underserved communities , Lynn Harrell Johnson at Community Tech House repurposed her former salon into a tech hub . She now teaches coding, web development, and digital literacy, offering free laptops to those committed to using them. Johnson has a goal to hire more passionate...
Salt Lake City, UT-based Holladay Bank & Trust — located in a community with a Black population of less than 3% — is now Redemption Bank, following its acquisition by Redemption Holding Co. (RHC). Initially announced in 2023, the deal marks the first time a Black-led investment group has owned a bank in the Western U.S., according to The Associated Press. Redemption Holding Co. Chairman and CEO Ashley D. Bell, former White House policy advisor, cited the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023 for the acquisition delay. “This process has undoubtedly taken longer than any of us anticipated,” Bell said. “However, we are grateful for the diligence of the staff at the FDIC, the leadership of the (American Bankers Association), and the renewed sense of urgency from the new administration this year, all of which helped bring everything together.” Redemption Bank is now the first Black-owned bank in U.S. history in the Rocky Mountain region and the only one in the “Black-banking desert,”...
The NAACP plans to sue Elon Musk ‘s Memphis, TN-based AI company, xAI, over concerns about air pollution stemming from a supercomputer facility allegedly operating gas turbines without proper permits. Represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), the NAACP filed its legal challenge on Tuesday as the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) reviews xAI’s permit application, according to The Associated Press. Activists and opponents say the facility is polluting predominantly Black neighborhoods in South Memphis. The NAACP sent a letter to the SCHD and Memphis Light, Gas, and Water on May 29, demanding an emergency order to halt xAI’s operations or, at the very least, cite the company for violating clean air standards, AFROTECH™ previously reported. “While data centers are becoming more prevalent across the country, there is a growing need to guarantee transparency regarding environmental and climate concerns, the burden these centers have on communities, and ensuring...
Goodr will be bringing its free grocery store to the windy city. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Goodr — the brainchild of Jasmine Crowe-Houston — is a sustainable food waste management company based in Atlanta, GA. Since its inception in 2017, the company has launched various initiatives, including a free grocery and clothing store at Atlanta’s McNair Middle School in partnership with rapper Gunna (2021). More recently, it introduced the Goodr Community Market at iVillage @ MLK (2024), which features a free grocery store and health clinic, with a goal of serving 600 families by 2026. “I have a lot of crazy good ideas to help people and I am so blessed when partners and my team join me to bring them to life,” Crowe-Houston said at the time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jasmine Crowe Houston (@jasminecrowe) First P ermanent Location In Chicago Now, Goodr is scaling its mission to the south side of Chicago, IL, opening its grocery store model in a hospital. This will...
Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony have teamed up to award several HBCU students with scholarships. The trio is behind the Social Change United Fund, which was created in response to racial injustice, pooling their collective resources to support communities of color, its website mentions. It aims to create equity in entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation. “It started back in, I want to say, 2020,” Anthony told Fast Company. “It was a real moment. We were watching a moment in society and our community, and our country, and it’s right in front of our faces, and the world was watching. It was a moment where I had to figure out, ‘Da-n, what do I want to do?’ And I think everyone was asking that same question. We just talked, came together, and we founded the Social Change Fund United.” He continued, “What we did was create a really clear vision on what we wanted to do on strategy, how do we advance equity, how do we advance social justice, criminal justice reform,...
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced plans to implement a phased pause in operations at its nearly 100 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide by June 30, 2025, according to a department press release. This marks a significant change that will affect workforce development for underserved youth. The decision to wind down the Job Corps centers follows an internal program review and stems from significant issues, including financial deficits, safety concerns, and underwhelming student outcomes. The residential career training and education program is focused on low-income young adults ages 16 to 24. Job Corps Closing: Breaking Down The Numbers The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration released a report in April 2025 that details the Job Corps program’s performance and return on investment. The average graduation rate is about 38.6%, according to the report, as cited by Fox News. Other findings show that the average cost per graduate was up to...
No matter who occupies the White House, Maryland Governor Wes Moore remains steadfast in his commitment to three core pillars for his state’s 6.2 million residents: work, wages, and wealth — and creating pathways for all three. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2024, Moore — Maryland’s 63rd and first Black governor — joined Blavity Inc. Co-Founder and COO Jeff Nelson for a powerful fireside chat focused on economic empowerment, youth engagement, public safety, and sustainable community development. The governor shared insights on building resilient, self-sufficient communities, equipping the conference room of innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers with tangible steps to create a lasting impact. Buy your AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 ticket now! Reflecting on his personal journey into public service, Moore shared that he didn’t come from a political dynasty — far from it. Now, he says he sees the world in two categories: Marylanders and future Marylanders. “I had to convince members of my...
Pharrell Williams is taking significant steps to address the equity gap in entrepreneurship through his initiative, Black Ambition. According to an April 14, 2025, news release, the nonprofit is launching the Fundable Founders Learning Lab, a comprehensive 10-week virtual program designed to support entrepreneurs across Florida, with an emphasis on those from underrepresented communities . With a $1 million investment from an anonymous donor, the initiative is part of a two-year effort to counter dwindling resources for small business owners by providing 500 Florida-based entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentorship, expert training, and a robust network. “Entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented challenges—from shrinking access to capital to dwindling community resources,” said Black Ambition CEO Felecia Hatcher. “This $1 million donation is more than just funding—it’s fuel for a new generation of fundable founders building bold, innovative solutions right here in Florida.”...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. The turmoil over tariffs has taken center stage since President Donald Trump has started to make good on his campaign promise to Make America Great Again. His latest move is leveraging the tactic of tariffs to help bring back manufacturing jobs that he believes have been outsourced to other countries and should be available to people in the United States. However, having the goal of quickly bringing industrialization to a country has been tried elsewhere before. Mao Zedong of China, who formed the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and ran it until his death in 1976, tried what Trump is doing in the U.S. in China. It was called The Great Leap Forward and started in 1958. It aimed to change China from a country that relied on agriculture as its economic center to one that relied on industrialization instead. Similar to Donald Trump’s vision for industrialization, it included a focus on increasing...
The Trump administration has rescinded a historic settlement designed to improve wastewater treatment services for residents in majority-Black communities in Lowndes County, Alabama, where inadequate infrastructure has long led to raw sewage exposure. On Friday, April 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the termination of the 2-year-old agreement made with the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) under the Biden administration , describing it as an “ illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.” “The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “ President [Donald] Trump made it clear: Americans deserve a government committed to serving every individual with dignity and respect, and to expending taxpayer resources in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.” On Jan. 20, 2025 — his first day back in office — Trump had signed an executive...
The Trump administration has repealed a Biden-era policy that guaranteed a baseline wage for workers on federal contracts, cutting the federal contractor minimum wage down from $17.75 an hour. However, the move still leaves an Obama-era rule in place that puts the minimum at $13.30 an hour. With that single change, hundreds of thousands of private-sector workers employed by federal contractors are at risk of wage reductions up to 25% — a shift that will disproportionately affect workers without college degrees and those already earning near-poverty wages, the Center for American Progress reports. The Federal Contractor Minimum Wage: A Lifeline Now Lost The now-defunct regulation, established under Executive Order 14026, raised the federal contractor minimum wage in 2021 to $15 and indexed it to inflation, bringing it to $17.75 in 2025. It was designed to ensure that janitors, cooks, maintenance workers, and other federal contract laborers earned a livable wage. More than 327,000...
Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is mobilizing support for Black maternal health. Black Maternal Health Week April 11–17 is Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), an initiative created by the Black women-led, cross-sectoral consortium Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), with the intent of raising awareness and fostering community around the experiences of Black mothers and birthing people, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. Atlanta-GA-based BMMA traces its origins to 2013 when the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (SisterSong) began constructive research on the obstacles Black mothers face in accessing health care. Once it had become its own independent entity in 2018, BMMA established Black Maternal Health Week and began working with up to 18 community-based organizations. That number has since grown to nearly 50. Black Maternal Health Week also intentionally coincides with National Minority Health Month,...
The global economy is not just shaped by technology or innovation — it’s governed by decisions made behind closed doors, often under the guise of economic strategy. One such decision, the imposition of tariffs, is anything but neutral. It is an instrument of pressure, a marker of priority, and increasingly, a reflection of geopolitical posture. Tariffs have reemerged as a centerpiece of American economic policy, not as quiet fiscal levers but as loud, disruptive statements. The Trump administration’s recent directive — a flat 10% base tariff on all imports and a sweeping set of reciprocal tariffs targeting nearly 90 countries — represents a radical reorientation of U.S. trade policy. In an interconnected world already strained by inflation, global supply chain challenges, and diplomatic fragility, these decisions matter deeply — and immediately. What Are Tariffs? At their core, tariffs are taxes on imported goods, imposed by governments to influence the cost and flow of trade. By...
President Trump is back on his trade war wave — and this time, it’s rolling straight through the auto industry. With a fresh round of 25% tariffs on cars and auto parts set to take effect on April 3, people from the auto industry, from C-suites to dealership floors, are bracing for the impact. The administration says it’s about protecting national security and strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base. But if you’re thinking about buying a car this year, or if your job has anything to do with auto production, here’s the truth: You may be paying more, waiting longer, and dealing with fewer options. And that’s just the beginning. Why The White House Is Saying This Is Necessary According to an official statement from the White House, these tariffs on cars are aimed at keeping America safe. The administration is emphasizing that too many imports are “undermining” the “domestic industrial base” and weakening the U.S. supply chain. The idea is to hit foreign-made cars and parts with a 25%...
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown remains committed to supporting Black-owned businesses, empowering communities of color, and fostering generational wealth along the way. On Feb. 14, 2024, Brown announced the launch of OaklandXChange, a sister project to his nonprofit, BostonXChange (BXC). Jaylen Brown announces a new business district and incubator program as part of his Xchange fund in a speech at a community luncheon at Oakstop in Oakland pic.twitter.com/kZwpd0HYEM — Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 14, 2025 Founded in 2024, BXC aims to create $5 billion in generational wealth within Boston, MA’s communities of color, AFROTECH™ previously reported. The organization provides funding, resources, workplaces, and mentoring from seasoned individuals to Black and minority entrepreneurs, helping them launch businesses that contribute to sustainable economic growth . According to Sports Illustrated, OaklandXChange, which launched in partnership with Jrue and Lauren Holiday’s JLH...