Kadeem Woodson opened Enkel’s Barbershop last year to provide more comfort for queer customers. Although barbershops have long been regarded as a sanctuary for Black men – not all of them are a safe space for queer Black men. A study by Smith College found that some Black, queer patrons who viewed themselves as “clockable” or easily detected as a homosexual would change their physical appearance and visit shops during off-peak hours to avoid uncomfortable situations. But Woodson says he wants members of his community to remain authentically themselves and feel comfortable
The Cincinnati-based Lightship Foundation, which is well known for serving remarkable entrepreneurs and ecosystems, is moving one of the nation’s premier conferences for founders of color and Black tech professionals to the Queen City this summer. It marks a high-profile win for both the organization and the city. “Black Tech Week is a culturally historic event that innovators of color have converged upon for the last seven years to expand their minds, their networks, and their access to capital,” says Candice Matthews Brackeen, Lightship Foundation Founder, and CEO. “I am thrilled
A lawsuit filed last week has accused Google of systemic racial bias against Black employees, saying the company steers them to lower-level jobs, pays them less, and denies them opportunities to advance because of their race. The complaint was filed in the federal court in San Jose, California, according to reports. The plaintiff, April Curley, said the Alphabet Inc unit subjected Black employees to a hostile work environment, including by often requiring they show identification or be questioned by security at its Mountain View, California, campus. Curley said Google had hired her in 2014
Another Black worker is reportedly suing tech giant Tesla, claiming white workers tormented him with ringtones set to sound like incoming-rocket warnings, as well as race-based abuses. According to Mercury News – Marcellous Cage alleged in his lawsuit against Tesla that the company fired him because he reported life-threatening safety violations in the plant. “Mr. Cage was fired for two reasons: his commitment to safety and his race,” the lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court claimed, the paper reported. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on
Athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick and his partner’s Canadian businessman Jim Nikopoulos and activist Akim Aliu have made a seed investment in Naomi Osaka’s KINLÒ brand with Kaepernick joining the brand’s board of directors. Osaka has also brought on a new brand President, Mia Meachem, who joins KINLÒ with over 20 years of brand marketing experience with roles across notable beauty brands including Drunk Elephant – a part of the Shiseido organization, The Estee Lauder Companies, and Burt’s Bees. In her new role as President, Meachem will help to drive
Race and gender discrimination in technology remain an issue, according to Dice’s newly released Equality in Tech Report. The report said that between 2020 and 2021, there was little change in sentiment around gender and racial discrimination. And the perception of racial discrimination increased for both Black technologist respondents (57%, up from 55% in 2020) and technologists who identify as women (at double the rate of technologists who identify as men.) The report said that perception of a lack of leadership opportunities and salary and benefit inequities were cited as a common
According to The Big Deal, less than 1% of all VC dollars went toward startups with one or more women founders last year, details investments in Africa. However, on a more positive note – depending on how you look at it, founding teams counting women and men as members raised 17% of VC investments in Africa in 2021. But the lack of investment in women-founded startups isn’t new. If we took a look back almost a decade ago – according to Briter Bridges, another publication that tracks VC investments in
TechLit Africa redistributes recycled technology to build computer labs in African schools. With 4,000 students and 20 teachers, the organization has built 10 computer labs in rural Kenya and is working on the next 100 computer labs. Nelly Cheboi, who grew up in a poor rural village in Kenya, landed a full scholarship to study computer science at Augustana College in Illinois and later built a school in Kenya, Zawadi, where she then started TechLit Africa. The program is unique because it teaches relevant classes; they hire local teachers to make
Only a small percentage of Black founders in the UK received VC funding between 2009 to 2019 — and none so far have received late-stage funding. But 2021 proved to be fruitful, with initiatives like Google’s Black founders’ – and others – awarding Black and minority startup founders for their innovations. One such founder, who received backing, is Erika Brodnock, the cofounder of Kami, a parental support platform that gives parents access to expert advice via a mobile app. The startup received a $67k grant from the BFF in June
Less than 1% of investment went to teams of Black entrepreneurs, according to the Extend Ventures report which also noted that across the 10-year period “a total of 10 female entrepreneurs of Black appearance received venture capital investment (0.02% of the total amount invested)… with none so far receiving late-stage funding”. Despite these odds, young Black women founders in the UK are helming businesses and driving innovation in areas as diverse as beauty, e-comm, and real estate, and total a total of 16 Black women have raised funding. Both inside