JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and his wife, Judith K. Dimon and UNCF are donating $12 million from The James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The Dimon Fund is part of UNCF’s $1.5B capital campaign to provide economic opportunities. 12 selected UNCF member schools will receive a $5 million institutional match from UNCF’s pooled endowment fund. “Our country’s future and strength depend on our young people. Our system of HBCUs continues to serve as the springboard to success for thousands of students in
The unemployment rate for Black people in the US has decreased but remains higher than that of other racial groups, according to a new report. Black unemployment still higher than other racial groups In June and July, the unemployment rate for Black men fell from 7% to 6.7%. For Black women, the unemployment rate decreased from 6.2% to 5.8%. However, the overall unemployment rate in July was 4.1%, according to the Joint Centre for Political and Economic Studies. The Black unemployment rate is 6.3%, which is the highest among all racial groups,
The Trump administration has cancelled a new round of scientific grants for brain health and Alzheimer’s disease research at Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh. These grants allegedly highlight the impacts of racism on the brain, according to The Guardian. “This kind of clear political interference – that’s not a good way to do science,” said Ann Cohen, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, whose grant was canceled. “I haven’t even thought much about the why this is being done because it’s so scientifically wrong
On 14 August, Airtel Africa and Starlink launched Starlink Mobile in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The service will allow Airtel customers to connect smartphones directly to Starlink satellites in areas with limited mobile coverage. This marks Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in the DRC. Customers will not need to buy or install a satellite dish to connect to Starlink, as smartphones will automatically connect to satellites that work like mobile phone towers in space, according to Business Insider Africa. “The first-ever commercial launch of Starlink Mobile in Africa is
New research has found that companies that kept their DEI initiatives performed just as well as companies that did not. The research that was shared with the Guardian examined how well S&P 500 companies fared after Trump signed his executive order in 2025. Jacob Grumbach, an associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, used “abnormal returns” a term used by economists – the difference between how a stock is expected to perform versus how it actually performed, but removing the stock movement that could
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could potentially be given gloves that deliver electric shocks. ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to buy the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (GLOVE), according to a note published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as reported by the BBC. Whilst a standard US power outlet is 120 volts, the gloves can produce up to 380 volts. How will the gloves work? The shock gloves made by Compliant Technologies LLC use neuro-peripheral interference, which essentially shocks the skin, flooding sensory nerves and temporarily
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has rejected Serena Ventures’ trademark appeal, according to Law360. The trademark application, which was filed in November 2020, was denied because the TTAB panel believed it could be mistaken for “Serena,” another trademark that also invests in real estate and other areas. “Serena” is owned by Florida-based VC Management Florida LLC. Serena Ventures Trademark application The TTAB panel said it denied Williams’ argument that her registered trademark applied solely to real estate. The decision said that “only some of registrant’s services are restricted to
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Washington University after it fired a Black worker who opposed mandatory DEI training that separated her from her colleagues. This act violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, or sex. “Federal law protects workers who complain about race discrimination in the workplace, regardless of whether those complaints are made inside or outside the employer’s organization,” David S. Davis, director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District, said in a press release. About
Black-owned autonomous mobility startup Moove has raised a $250 million Series C funding round led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific. The new capital will allow the company to expand Moove’s autonomous fleet ownership and a first-of-its-kind robotic depot infrastructure, which it calls Nests. “Every major technology revolution becomes an infrastructure race. The internet required data centres. AI required compute,” Ladi Delano, Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Advisory Board Chairman of Moove said in a press release. “Autonomy requires fleets, charging, maintenance, data systems
Dr Monica L. Baskin will become the first Black woman to lead a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. Baskin has been named director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and will begin serving in her role on August 3rd after final approval by the VCU Board of Visitors. “It is an honor to be named as the next director at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center,” Baskin said in the press release. “Massey is an exemplar, locally and nationally, on what truly matters for a cancer center, and together
