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
Five years after the disastrous Hurricane Maria, another destructive storm has hit civilians living in Puerto Rico, exposing the vulnerability of the island’s electricity system. Hurricane Fiona, which first struck Puerto Rico on Sept 18, has already caused severe damage to the island’s economic development. According to the Washington Post, President Biden agreed to issue a major disaster declaration earlier this week. The storm brought an average of 10 to 16 inches of rain across Puerto Rico, killing four people. Since Sunday, 1.5 million people living and working in Puerto Rico
Justine Skye is expanding her business endeavors, and we are very much here for it. The musician, known for sporting some of the sleekest tresses in the business, has partnered with Black-owned artificial intelligence wig brand Parfait. Parfait, founded by Isoken Igbinedio, is an AI and facial recognition-powered beauty technology that has created a community where beauty and tech co-exist. According to its founders, Parfait was founded to solve two problems: AI biases in tech and the fragmented wig buying process for millions of Black and brown women. “It was
“Done is better than perfect” is Tanya Sam’s mantra. Real Housewives of Atlanta star Tanya Sam has said goodbye to reality TV and hello to the tech world. Since leaving reality television in 2020, Sam has worked to become a key figure in female entrepreneurship, particularly within the tech space. Prior to her transition into the tech industry, Sam was a nurse working in oncology and hematology before she first appeared on the hit Bravo series. “I was a registered nurse for 10 years,” Sam previously explained in an interview with Page
