Ancestry.com has released a new collection of newspaper articles related to more than 183,000 enslaved people in the US. The collection is free to access and leverages an AI-powered search tool to provide millions of descendants of formerly enslaved individuals with unprecedented access to detailed historical records. Never-before-seen records Ancestry’s “Articles of Enslavement” collection comprises approximately 38,000 newspaper articles dating from 1788 to 1867. Many of these original newspaper articles contain never-before-seen information about enslaved individuals and fill gaps in historical records where courthouse and community documents have been lost
Google has announced the construction of Umoja, the first-ever fiber optic cable to link Africa with Australia directly. This initiative, named after the Swahili word for “unity,” aims to boost the reliability and reach of digital infrastructure across the continents. The Umoja cable The Umoja cable will begin in Kenya and traverse Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, including the Google Cloud region, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia. According to Google’s press release, the terrestrial segment of the route has already been completed in collaboration with Liquid
Apple Inc. has appointed Cynthia Bowman as its new Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity. Bowman, a seasoned banking executive, succeeds Barbara Whye, marking the fourth executive to hold this position in recent years. Cynthia Bowman: Bank of America Veteran Cynthia Bowman, who previously served as Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Responsibility Officer at Bank of America Corp., joins Apple following a 17-year tenure with the bank. “We are excited that Cynthia Bowman will serve as Apple’s next Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity,” an Apple spokesperson said in a
Kenyan President William Ruto made Atlanta his first stop during his official state visit to the United States, focusing on advancing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. During his visit to Spelman College, a historically Black college for women, Ruto signed a framework agreement to establish educational exchanges between Kenyan universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the US. Boosting STEM Education The agreement, signed by representatives from Spelman and Morehouse Colleges, Clark Atlanta University, and Howard University, aims to enhance STEM education in both countries. “We
Life and health insurance provider Globe Life and its subsidiaries, including American Income Life (AIL), are facing serious allegations of racial discrimination and harassment. A Business Insider investigation revealed evidence of racism from Globe’s Texas headquarters to its agencies nationwide. Racism Among Senior Managers Business Insider obtained screenshots that revealed senior managers at AIL exchanged racist, sexist, and transphobic texts between 2014 and 2019. Domenico Bertini, a former AIL vice president, sent a meme depicting a Black man in a mousetrap baited with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Other texts included the n-word and
Colorado has become the first state in the US to enact comprehensive legislation regulating AI use in critical areas like employment, healthcare, and housing. From February 2026, affected businesses must provide information about their AI use and take “reasonable care” to protect citizens from algorithmic discrimination. “Laws that seek to prevent discrimination generally focus on prohibiting intentional discriminatory conduct,” said Governor Jared Polis, who signed Senate Bill 24-205 (SB205) on May 17, 2024. “Notably, this bill deviates from that practice by regulating the results of AI system use, regardless of intent.” Addressing Algorithmic Discrimination SB205
The Senate is considering a bipartisan bill to establish Black Wall Street as a national monument. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced Senate Bill 3543 to create the Historic Greenwood District—Black Wall Street National Monument. This initiative aims to honor the legacy of Tulsa’s Historic African American Business District and commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Honoring Black Wall Street’s Legacy In 1921, white mobs attacked and destroyed Black Wall Street, a thriving Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Originally, the state recorded 36 deaths, but a 2001 state commission reported that
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against SoLo Funds, an online lending platform, over its lending practices. According to the CFPB, SoLo Funds used deceptive tactics to ensure almost every borrower paid hidden fees despite advertising zero-cost loans. Misleading Tactics and Hidden Fees SoLo Funds markets itself as a consumer-friendly alternative to high-cost, short-term loans. However, the CFPB alleges that SoLo’s practice of requesting borrowers pay “tips” and “donations” hides the actual cost of their loans. The lawsuit alleges that from March 2018 through December 2022, SoLo received
Donna Summer’s estate has reached a settlement with Kanye “Ye” West and Ty Dolla $ign over claims that they unlawfully used Summer’s classic hit “I Feel Love.” According to Rolling Stone, the settlement comes after the estate accused the artists of “blatant theft” in their song “Good (Don’t Die)” from the album Vultures 1. Legal Battle and Settlement The lawsuit, filed in February by Summer’s estate, alleged that West and Ty Dolla $ign, whose legal name is Tyrone Griffin Jr., copied significant portions of Summer’s iconic track without permission. The legal complaint detailed
OpenseedVC has reached the first close of its $10 million fund for operator-led startups in Africa and Europe. Founded by former Octopus Ventures and Oxford Seed Fund investor Maria Rotilu, OpenseedVC is a new solo General Partner (GP) that aims to be the first check for startups. OpenSeedVC: Filling a Crucial Funding Gap According to Sifted, Rotilu is Europe’s first Black solo GP and one of the first female solo GPs in the region. Rotilu’s strategy with OpenseedVC is to back startups even earlier than the pre-seed stage, at a
