Howard University and Google Research have released a dataset comprising over 600 hours of AAE dialects from 32 states to enhance AI’s recognition of diverse Black dialects. As part of Project Elevate Black Voices, researchers traveled across the US to capture commonly used speech patterns in Black communities that AI systems often overlook. The project aims to enhance the way Black people interact with technology. Black dialects being ignored by artificial intelligence African American English (AAE)—also known as African American Vernacular, Black English, or Black talk—is widely spoken in Black
Torch, a leadership and coaching enterprise, has acquired Praxis Labs, an immersive learning platform that uses AI to build inclusive workplace cultures, for an undisclosed amount. As part of the acquisition, the entire Praxis Labs team will join Torch. Praxis Labs’ co-founders, Elise Smith and Heather Shen, will join Torch as Head of AI Growth and Head of AI Product, respectively. About Praxis Labs Founded in 2019, Praxis Labs is an AI platform that builds critical human skills with research-backed practice simulations, AI coaching, and skills assessments. The startup has
The UN has created two AI avatars in a bid to help more people learn about the realities faced by those fleeing war. The first is Amina, a character playing the role of a woman living in a refugee camp in Chad after she escaped violence in Sudan. Then, there’s a soldier persona called Abdalla, a character built with the behavior and decision-making patterns of an actual combatant. Both avatars were created by the United Nations University Center for Policy Research (UNU-CPR), a research institution connected to the United Nations,
Shareholders at 30 major US companies, including Costco, Apple, and Mastercard, overwhelmingly rejected anti-DEI proposals during the 2025 proxy season. The companies, worth a combined $13 trillion, saw most proposals defeated by margins of 98% to 99%. The shareholder voting results were tracked by Impactivize, a nonprofit project focused on DEI in the private sector. “Shareholder voting margins send a clear message: Investors understand that diversity is good for business,” said the project’s founder in a press release. 30 Major companies back DEI Impactivize analyzed anti-DEI proposals sent to companies
Owolabi Salis, a Nigerian lawyer, was on the six-man crew of Blue Origin’s 13th human spaceflight for the New Shepard program. The flight lasted 10 minutes and reached a peak altitude of 105.2 kilometres, crossing the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, according to a press release. Who is Owolabi Salis? Salis is a lawyer and politician who has now become the first Nigerian to travel to space. The lawyer who comes from Ikorodu, Lagos, described his journey as a “convergence of science and spirit.” “This mission is more
Paramount Global is waiting for one last step before completing its sale to independent film and TV producer David Ellison’s Skydance Media. The Federal Communications Commission must approve the transfer of the company’s broadcast licenses, according to Bloomberg. The agency is concerned about news bias inside the media company, as well as the legality of its DEI efforts. Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media Paramount’s transfer to Skydance Media progressed after the media group settled Trump’s news-bias lawsuit against its CBS News division by agreeing to pay $16 million for his legal expenses and a donation
Unemployment rates for Black women are rising, and economists believe this signifies a broader problem. Black women’s unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April and reached an all-time high in May at 6.2% before dropping to 5.8% in June, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported by The 19th. Rates for white and Asian women remained close to 3% and 5% for Latinas, in comparison. Experts believe that this highlights a strain in the economy. Why is this concerning? Due to systemic racism
Liquify, a woman-owned trading finance platform, has secured $1.5 million in seed funding. Future Africa led the raise, with participation from Launch Africa Ventures, 54 Collective, Digital Africa, Equitable Ventures, and angel investors. The Ghanaian company was founded by Nadya Yaremenko and Alberta Asafo-Asamoah in 2023 to connect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa with global capital markets. How does Liquify work? The startup operates an invoice finance marketplace that connects African SME’s with global capital markets. Its platform exports allow exporters to turn unpaid invoices into same-day cash, and international investors can receive
Dutch semiconductor equipment supplier ASML has ended its DEI targets in the US to comply with executive orders in the country. The company made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that its diversity and key performance targets would not apply to US workers to the point that its inclusion and diversity policies conflict with US laws and orders. Still, it would remain intact in all other markets. ASML rolls back its DEI efforts ASML becomes another European company ending its DEI initiatives to avoid any disciplinary action from the executive orders
Akon’s plans to build a multibillion-dollar city development in Senegal have been scrapped by the country’s authorities, according to Bloomberg. Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of the Senegalese tourism authority Sapco, said, “The Akon City project no longer exists,” and shares that the plans will now be replaced with a more realistic partnership with Akon. Akon’s plan for a futuristic city in Senegal Akon first shared plans for the city in 2018. It’s designed to feature futuristic skyscrapers and pan-African symbolism, which was compared to Wakanda, Marvel’s fictional African nation from
