The US Department of Justice has accused the University of California, San Diego’s medical school of discriminating against White and Asian applicants by favouring Black and Hispanic applicants. The DOJ believes that UC San Diego’s medical school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law bans discrimination based on race, colour, or national origin in initiatives or activities that receive federal aid. The DOJ accusing UC San Diego of discrimination against white students In a letter published on Monday, Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s civil rights division,
Marsai Martin’s foundation, Seeds of Fortune Inc and FICO are teaming up to launch the FICO Financial Empowerment Fellowship. The fellowship aims to empower students through scholarships, financial education, and opportunities, according to its website. Marsai Martin’s foundation In 2025, Martin and her Marsai’s Way Foundation teamed up with the nonprofit Seeds of Fortune Inc. to empower 10,000 young women through financial education and wealth-building initiatives over the next three years. The partnership launched at the Seed Forum: Women of Colour Creating Wealth Summit, an event designed to address the racial and gender wealth gap
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entreprenuers in the US. Black-women-owned businesses have increased by 13% between 2024 and 2024 compared to the 4.4% rate for women-owned businesses overall, according to Forbes. Black women turning to entrepreneurship Black women have been pushed out of the workforce as their unemployment rate has reached 7.3% in 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, Black women’s unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April, reached an all-time high of 6.2% in May, then dropped to 5.8% in June,
Zijin, a Chinese mining company, has started exporting lithium concentrate from the Manono project in the DRC. The Manono Lithium Mine is one of the largest lithium pegmatite deposits in the world. The exports started in June 2026, one month after the project’s processing plant entered production, according to Business Insider Africa. The exports mark the first time that the Democratic Republic of Congo has exported lithium. Congo exporting lithium for the first time The shipments are currently travellng overland and by sea, with the material expected to reach Chinese
Nike faced a federal EEOC investigation in Missouri after the Trump administration moved in court on Feb. 4, 2026, to compel information tied to allegations of anti-white discrimination. Andrea Lucas, a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C), sent a 26-page memo to several agency officials, stating that Nike had been discriminating against white employees and job applicants. Lucas, who has been appointed to the commission by President Trump during his first term, claimed that the retailer used internal processes to promote racial representation, even though it removed white
The NAACP recently filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop air pollution from Elon Musk’s company, xAI, and its parent company, MZX Tech. The lawsuit states that xAI is operating dozens of natural gas turbines at its Mississippi data centre without proper air permits, violating the Clean Air Act, and posing a risk to local communities’ health. But, how dangerous are these pollutants to local communities, and what are their long-term health risks? POCIT spoke with Glory Dolphin Hammes, the CEO of IQAir North America, who has years of experience
Black-owned beauty brand Ruka Hair has announced its partnership with Sephora in the US. The UK-based brand will launch nationwide at Sephora online on August 4, accompanied by a physical launch in 10 stores across New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta from August 14, according to Business of Fashion. Ruka Hair will be the first hair extension brand to launch in Sephora in 20 years. Ruka launching in Sephora Synths 2, Ruka’s patent-pending collagen-based fibre extensions, along with a selection of products including stylers and hair perfumes, will be available
Fawn and Keith Weaver’s roles at Uncle Nearest have been terminated, according to a court filing. The Weavers termination from Uncle Nearest Receiver Phillip G. Young Jr. shared the announcement in his fourth quarterly report, filed Friday, July 10, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, according to the Moore County Observer. “While this decision was not made lightly,” Young said, “it has resulted in significantly less confusion among employees and vendors, and has made business operations significantly smoother.” The Weavers confirmed their termination in a joint answer
A Black fintech home-improvement financing platform has announced a new $150 million home-improvement loan portfolio. TGUC Financial, Inc. aims to fix the broken home improvement market by providing loans to homeowners, contractors, and lenders. The platform uses AI on both the business and customer service sides, with human agents. It also matches homeowners with vetted contractors through SmartMatch. The $150 million home-improvement loan portfolio The new initiative will help underprivileged communities upgrade their homes. The capital base of a credit union and a Community Development Financial Institution collaboration seeks to provide capital
Full Swing, a sports tech platform backed by Tiger Woods, has been acquired by Versant Media Group, Inc. Under the acquisition, Versant will take full ownership of Bruin Capital and a group of minority investors for around $530 million in cash. The sports technology company, with patented hardware and an integration platform, is used by competitive athletes, coaches, and commercial venues. “Full Swing is exactly the kind of strategic platform that reflects how we are building Versant: investing in our core markets, extending the reach of our iconic brands and
