As technology continues to evolve, so does the culture of sneakers as we know them. No longer are eager collectors waiting in line for new releases, instead, they can be accessed by the click of a button. Now, with the metaverse playing a huge role in the day-to-day life of consumers, one popular self-taught artist is turning top-selling sneakers into digital characters. “Technology has definitely changed my life,” said Anderson Bluu, the visionary behind The Sneaker Transformation Series, a limited edition line of NFTs. “I don’t even know if I could do what I’m doing now without the way the world is built with social media technology and how everybody has a phone in their hand.” Bluu is a self-taught artist from Long Island, NY. He is also a sneaker designer who uses his creative powers to produce his own artwork, which is inspired by his love of sneakers, basketball, and pop culture. He further explained how technology has transformed his life, specifically as an artist. “I use it...

Boosted by technology, Meta is highlighting Black creators and leaders to build a more equitable future for underrepresented communities. This is all made possible by the Metaverse Culture Series. As AfroTech previously told you, the initiative is a part of a year-long commitment to work directly with Black creators and leaders to build inclusivity in the tech space by ensuring their perspectives are present.

In the wake of the social uproar following the height of the Black Lives Matter Movement , companies began taking action to call for change. Companies like Google, specifically, recognized racial bias and social equity were prevalent issues in the tech industry that needed to be solved. As of recent, they are continuing to combat these issues today with the announcement of Google Women’s Techmakers’ new campaign celebrating Black women in the tech industry. The campaign “Black Women in Tech” aims to encourage the future generation by sharing the success stories of Black women pioneers. “Black women are underrepresented in the tech industry, and their contributions are not widely acknowledged and celebrated. The ‘Black Women In Tech’ campaign will highlight the stories, experiences, and expertise of Black women in the American tech industry through things like community stories shared by Black women within and outside of Google,” Google shared in a press release.

The importance of representation within media publications is the reason why we’ve seen so many outlets successfully flourish for catering to  underrepresented audiences. For AMAKA Studio — a brand new digital media publisher that recently launched on International Women’s Day — its sole mission is dedicated to celebrating stories centered around Pan-African womanhood and those across the diaspora. As a multimedia platform, AMAKA Studio aims to break new ground for African women that provides a space where their culturally-relevant experiences, needs, and interests are being amplified for the world to see from the perspectives of women of their communities. With Nigerian-American journalist and media maven Ivie Ani leading the publication as editor-in-chief, the platform has an overarching goal to bridge the gap between North and Sub-Saharan Africa and expand the media landscape for African women empowerment. Photo Credit: Robert Mayer In this new role, Ani brings with her years of...

Instagram is honoring Black History Month this year by way of its #ShareBlackStories program — an inspiring call-to-action to encourage support of the global Black diaspora on its platform. The social media giant is now continuing its long-standing commitment to sharing Black stories with the help of its latest partnership with Howard University and famed music video director Melina Matsoukas. The award-winning film director — most known for her film “Queen & Slim” — has teamed with Howard University alongside Instagram to both amplify and support the stories of aspiring Black filmmakers through the Instagram x Share Black Stories “Future First” Reels Challenge in celebration of Black History Month, a press release shares. Announcing the @instagram Share Black Stories ‘Future First’ Reels Challenge with @msmelina . What will yours be? #ShareBlackStories pic.twitter.com/SrCgKd5wfu — Howard University (@HowardU) February 8, 2021 According to an announcement, the newly-launched program...

Two women are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to sharing what it means to be Black in America. According to Forbes , Dorothy Toran, a former producer for Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” and Leslie Farrell –a former vice president of production at Bravo Media and NBC Universal — have teamed up to create Lauren Grace Media, a new production company with a clear mission: To tell diverse stories that people of color can relate to. Lauren Grace Media’s first major project is titled, “Race in America” and the two are excited about the opportunity and experience to oversee not only original but diverse storytelling as well. “We want to tell the rainbow of storytelling, so we are not pigeonholed in any direction,” Toran said. “ Race in America is a very specific project that had a very specific goal. It was wonderful to be able to have our first showing out of the company to be something tackling race in such a personal way.” While the two aim to break...

In a noisy world of social media and smartphones, your story is your superpower. Your story is the number #1 thing that sets you apart from the gazillion other people with similar job titles, products, or service offerings. It’s the most powerful way to convince potential investors, journalists, customers or even your employees to take action. Think about the last three things you purchased. At some point, you probably came across words or a visual story that connected to a pain point, which led you to choose one brand over another. You may have purchased something simply because it tugged at your heartstrings. In either case, a story influenced your decision. People Buy into People Ultimately, buying is an emotional decision. The “know, like, and trust” principle is one of the most important factors for influencing someone. However take note, the business of storytelling is just not about you. Consider customer testimonials and employee stories that demonstrate the value you...