A new augmented reality (AR) experience is bringing the stories of Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s African Burying Ground to life. The platform is being unveiled today as part of the Black Heritage Trail’s Juneteenth celebrations, marking the tenth anniversary of the African Burying Ground Memorial Park. Portsmouth’s African Burying Ground The African Burying Ground dates back to at least 1705 and served as the final resting place for more than 200 people of African descent. Over time, the site was paved over and forgotten until 2003, when workers uncovered five coffins
Sundial Media & Technology Group, the parent company of ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Refinery29, has partnered with Creator Currency Networks to launch a new platform for women creators. CreateHer Network is the first creator platform dedicated to bridging the economic gap between women’s cultural influence and how much they’re paid. It has already secured partnerships with key industry players, including ESSENCE, Refinery29, BeautyCon, Curly Culture, and CurlyCon, according to a press release. CreateHer: A Platform For Economic Power Women drive 85% of US purchasing decisions and influence $31.8 trillion in global
Technology investor Invictus Growth Partners has secured $574 million for its second flagship fund and related co-investment vehicles, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Founded in 2019 by John DeLoche and William Nettles, Invictus specializes in growth buyouts of lower middle-market businesses in sectors such as cloud, cybersecurity, and fintech. Invictus targets founder-led, bootstrapped companies generating at least $10 million in annual recurring revenue. Betting Big On AI With its new fund, the California-based firm will strengthen its focus on AI and machine learning technologies driving key industries.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that slavery had been abolished – two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The first Juneteenth was observed in 1866 and has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations before finally being recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. Corporations Pull Support This year, many traditional Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or canceled due to declining support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, according to AP
Zeal Capital Partners has closed its second fund at $82 million, tripling its assets under management (AUM) to $186 million in just five years. The Washington, DC-based firm plans to invest the new capital in early-stage startups across fintech, healthcare, and the future of learning and work. A Broader, Stronger Investor Base Zeal’s investor base has grown significantly with this latest fund. Zeal’s limited partners now include Citi Impact Fund, M&T Bank, MassMutual, Wells Fargo, Zaffre Investments and Spelman College, according to a press release shared with POCIT. In addition
Twitch megastar Kai Cenat recently revealed that he turned away interest from major platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Tubi, to retain complete control over Streamer University, his boot camp for aspiring creators. “We already been getting talks with different people,” Cenat said during a recent live stream, referencing interest from major streaming services. “But an idea like this so original you gotta keep it where it’s at.” A boot camp for creators Streamer University, a free, all-expenses-paid boot camp for emerging creators, took place from May 22 to
A new tech startup co-founded by basketball stars aims to ease the burden of funeral planning. Eazewell, an AI-powered platform created by NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, and NCAA champion Donnell Beverly Jr., offers a more compassionate and streamlined alternative to the traditionally complex and costly funeral planning process. A Response to Personal Loss The idea for Eazewell began years ago, after Beverly Jr. and Westbrook suddenly lost their high school teammate and close friend, Khelcey Barrs III. The experience revealed how few resources exist for families
Magic Johnson and Angel Reese have launched Wealth Playbook, a new financial literacy program for high school seniors in Baltimore. The program aims to teach students how to manage money and build long-term wealth. The initiative is a partnership between the Angel Reese Foundation, the Magic Johnson Foundation, and Pull Up Neighbor, a marketing and advertising firm focused on community outreach. Bringing Financial Education to Baltimore Classrooms The four-session program began last week at Saint Frances Academy, Reese’s former high school, in collaboration with wealth management giant Merrill Lynch. In
Black Leaders Detroit has announced the fifth annual Ride for Equity—an ambitious 1,645-mile cycling journey from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to New York City. The multi-state event pays tribute to the legacy of historic Black business districts and will also raise funds to support Black entrepreneurs, BridgeDetroit reports. “We’re riding from Black Wall Street in honor of the legacy of Greenwood,” Dwan Dandridge, founder and CEO of Black Leaders Detroit, told BridgeDetroit. “And we’re going to Wall Street because it’s another place where Black people had a huge hand in creating the
Meta is threatening to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria after losing a court appeal over $290 million in fines tied to regulatory and data privacy violations, the BBC reports. $290M in fines The showdown began in 2021 when Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) launched an investigation into WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy. The agency, along with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the national advertising regulator, accused Meta of multiple infractions. These include sharing user data without authorization, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to other
