Black media mogul, Byron Allen, has hit McDonald’s with a massive lawsuit after claiming the corporation deliberately excludes Black-owned media from its advertising campaigns. Allen, the owner of Allen Media Group, claims McDonald’s refused to advertise on his networks due to internalized discrimination against Black-owned media and racial stereotyping that only sees them take from Black consumers and never give back. McDonald’s is the world’s leading food service retailer, generating over $100 billion in annual revenue. African Americans represent approximately 40% of McDonald’s U.S. sales but dedicate a small proportion to
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz’s battle against short-form music video app Triller has finally come to an end. Earlier this year, the pair decided to sue Triller after alleging they refused to pay them $28 million after acquiring Verzuz, a rap-battle show they founded during the first peak of the pandemic. According to reports, the pair claimed the company had refused to pay the settlement agreement after acquiring their Verzuz platform. Despite Triller denying the claims, the platform has reached an “amicable agreement” with both partners to settle the matter. “Verzuz
Drake-backed betting platform, Players’ Lounge has raised $10.5 million in a Series A funding round, according to AfroTech. The funding round led by Griffin Gaming Partners included Comcast Ventures, Samsung Next, Vice Ventures, WndrCo, Sharp Alpha Partners, True Capital, Myles Garrett, Josh Norman, and Breanna Stewart. The organization, founded by Austin Woolridge, allows gamers to place bets on matches they are playing against others. In solo, head-to-head competitions, tournament formats, and ongoing competitions, friends can win real money through the Players’ Lounge. For “all kinds of gamers” In an interview
According to residents and internet watchdog NetBlocks, Iran has restricted residents’ access to social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp following a week of protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. What happened to Mahsa Amini? The protests, which began earlier this month, have seen protests spread across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in custody after being arrested by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly. Both men and women across Iran have taken to the streets in protest. However,
How do we bridge the gap between art and science? STEM From Dance, a New York City-based youth organization, is fusing opposite sides of the spectrum to help tackle the lack of diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce in a way that has never been done before. The organization, founded in 2021 by Yamilée Toussaint Beach, is bringing together art and science – two sectors considered a juxtaposition – and bringing them together to promote the idea that artistic expression and STEM can work together to
From street vendor to software engineer, Devin Jackson, founder of We Build Black, is on a mission to achieve socio-economic change by offering the community tech education and professional development. We Build Black, founded in 2017 by Devin Jackson, is a non-profit organization that has evolved from a one-person-only team to a volunteer-run group that aims to support thousands of members looking to advance their careers. Unlike traditional software engineers, Jackson never went to high school or college; he instead set up his own business selling graffiti t-shirts and comedy tickets on
J Balvin, also known as the Prince of Reggaeton, has made a wholesome move to create an open discussion around mental health struggles by launching OYE, a bilingual wellness app. The app, currently available for download on the app store, was built by Latin creators in Spanish and English. It provides users with emotional check-ins and goal-setting exercises and promotes the idea of achieving a balance between emotional wellness, physical health, and interpersonal relationships. “After the pandemic, global youth – really everyone – is extremely burnt-out. Anxiety, depression, and feelings of being
National Security Agency (NSA) veteran Natalie Evans Harris has been announced as the Executive Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Black Wealth Data Center (BWDC). The BWDC, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, works to increase generational wealth and address the systemic underinvestment within Black communities. As the Executive Director of the BWDC, Harris will lead a team tasked with harnessing data to support the creation of programs, policies, and strategies to measurably increase Black wealth. A wealth of experience Harris brings nearly 20 years of experience advancing the public sector’s strategic use of
Despite the controversy surrounding its facial recognition software, Clearview A.I. has found a new home amongst public defenders. The move, described as a “P.R. stunt to try to push back against the negative publicity,” has begun allowing public defenders to access its facial recognition database, which holds more than 20 billion facial images. The controversy explained Earlier this year, the controversial facial recognition program found itself amid legal drama after being fined more than £7.5 million by the U.K.’s privacy watchdog. The fine came after a few senators called on federal agencies
Since its launch in 2021, Stackwell Capital has worked hard to eliminate the racial wealth gap, and the launch of its new Robo-investing app is a testament to this. The app which has launched yesterday and is currently available for download in the App Store. The program, intentionally designed for the Black community, has given users endless opportunities to enhance their knowledge of the financial market. New data has revealed that white households hold eight times more wealth than Black households. Additionally, only 34% of Black households invest in the stock compared to white
