The California Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, requiring venture capital firms in the state to report the diversity of the founders they back annually. This is the first piece of legislation in the US that aims to address racial disparities in the venture capital (VC) landscape. There is currently no official data on how VC firms invest their money founder and tech activist who helped ideate and draft SB 54, Allison Byers said. She added that California is responsible for 36%
A recent panel discussion hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs and the TaxPayers’ Alliance in the UK shed light on a stark lack of diversity in the industry. The panel, consisting of six white men, four of whom were named Matthew, ignited online conversations about the whiteness and maleness of journalism. Tech journalist Dominic-Madori Davis remarked, “If it is easier to find four men named Matthew than at least one woman in your network, you gotta diversify asap.” This sentiment was echoed by Theo Priestley, an author and technology
Student surveillance technologies disproportionately harm Black, Latine, and Indigenous students, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has revealed. The findings come from the ACLU’s “Digital Dystopia” report examining the EdTech Surveillance (educational technologies used for surveillance) industry in US K-12 schools. Increased surveillance tech in schools Over the last two decades, the EdTech sector that markets student surveillance products to schools has grown into a $3.1 billion-a-year economic market, with a projected 8% annual growth rate. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost 80% of elementary schools have
A recent analysis by Bloomberg News has revealed that people of color accounted for 94% of new hires at the US’ largest public companies in the year after the Black Lives Matter protests. The proportion of managerial and executive roles held by people of color increased by about two percentage points – more than double the average increases in previous years. However, white people remained overrepresented in the top, highly-paid positions. A major shift The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires companies with 100 or more employees to report
A Latina-founded nonprofit, AIandYou, has launched a campaign to prepare young people of color and women against possible AI-generated misinformation leading up to the 2024 presidential election. AIandYou AIandYou was founded in 2019 to educate marginalized communities about artificial intelligence (AI) to help end users understand how AI impacts their daily lives. The nonprofit encourages communities to understand AI’s potential and pitfalls, providing online resources in easy-to-understand languages. Founder and CEO Susan Gonzales has years of experience in tech and policy and serves on the National AI Advisory Committee, advising
Editi Effiòng’s Nollywood action-thriller, The Black Book, has claimed the top spot worldwide on Netflix after leaders in Nigeria’s fintech startup space came together to fund the film. The Black Book The Black Book claimed the top spot worldwide just five days after its debut on Netflix, also making it the first ever number-one African film on Netflix. Vanguard reported that from September 18 to 24, the film accumulated 5.6 million views and 11.6 million watch hours. The movie, which traces the story of a mourning father seeking justice following
The CSforDetroit Steering Committee has launched its CSforDetroit initiative – a multi-year initiative to provide year-round computer science learning opportunities for Detroit K-12 students. The CSforDetroit Steering Committee is a collective of stakeholders in K-12 Computer Science (CS) education assembled to help school communities create a transformative learning experience in CS classrooms. The Kapor Foundation which works at the intersection of racial justice and technology, and a coalition of stakeholders and organizations will lead the initiative. Other partners include Google.org, Song Foundation, and the CSforALL’s Accelerator Program. Their goal together is to
Laphonza Butler has been sworn in to fill the Senate seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last week at age 90. California Gov. Gavin Newsom had selected Laphonza Butler to succeed Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in history. Butler, the former president of EMILY’s List, is known for her work as a union leader but was also a director at Airbnb and advised Uber during its conflict over workers’ rights. A historic appointment Butler is now the third female Black senator in US history. She is also
Toni Townes-Whitley officially became CEO of Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) yesterday, making her one of two Black women currently running a Fortune 500 company. SAIC provides engineering, digital, artificial intelligence and mission solutions across the defence, space, civilian and intelligence markets. In May, the company announced Townes-Whitley would take over from Nazzic Keene, who decided to retire Townes-Whitley joined SAIC on June 12 to ensure a seamless transition as CEO-elect. Keene has become Special Executive Advisor to Townes-Whitley and the company until February 2024. Toni Townes-Whitley – The CEO
October marks Black History Month in the UK, an occasion to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black people to British society. Black people from African and Caribbean communities have been integral to British history and society for centuries. The UK Black History Month 2023 theme is “Saluting our Sisters”, highlighting Black women’s crucial role in shaping history, inspiring change and building communities. CIO reported that just 0.7% of Black women in the UK work in the IT industry, compared to 1.8% across the UK’s entire workforce. They also found
