The Baraka TWS Bluetooth Earbuds are currently creating a wave in the tech world because they’re not only affordable, but their unique 3-in-1 design that brings together earbuds, speakers, and wireless capabilities is one getting much praise from the tech world.
But behind these unique earbuds is a man by the name of Tonee Bell, who defied all the odds to become the CEO and founder of A Unity Brand, the first-ever Black-owned computer brand in the United States.
However, Bell is far from a newcomer in the game. He actually originally founded the company in 1999. What’s more, Bell’s story is yet another example of how necessity is the mother of invention: after foregoing college so his sister could get her education, Bell joined the Coast Guard. While shopping in an electronics store, he realized that there weren’t a lot of people that “looked like him,” so rather than campaign for a place at the table, he created a table of his own.
“I had to fight for every inch of opportunity that I had, but one thing you must know about me is that I don’t know the word quit or stop when it comes to my business and what I’ve been trying to do,” Tonee Bell told Forbes.
While, certainly, the Tonee Bell story provides much cause for celebration, it also provides an opportunity to give us the proverbial “cause for pause.” Yes, Black-owned tech-based businesses are slowly growing in popularity and presence, but it will be a long time before things are where they need to be.
