The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has asked the US Justice Department (DOJ) to investigate the deployment of the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system in Black neighborhoods. The nonprofit raised concerns about the technology being used to justify the over-policing of Black communities. What Is ShotSpotter Gunfire Detection System? ShotSpotter, owned by SoundThinking, a public safety technology company, is a gunshot detection technology. It uses acoustic sensors to detect, locate, and alert law enforcement about illegal gunfire incidents. The digital alerts include a precise location on a map, with corresponding data
Latine communities start more businesses per capita than any other racial group in the United States. Latine or Hispanic-owned businesses also contribute over $800 billion annually to the nation’s economy. However, they often face challenges accessing the capital, resources, and support needed for the businesses to thrive. For example, in 2022, Latine and Hispanic founders received just 1.5% of venture capital funding, a drop from 2.5% the previous year. So, this Hispanic Heritage Month, we have compiled a list of resources to empower Latine tech founders nationwide! Resources For Tech Founders SoftBank
Global payments giant Visa is partnering with the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to co-fund data science and AI scholarships for students from underrepresented backgrounds. The partnership stems from the UK’s National AI Strategy, which set out a vision to strengthen the UK’s position as an AI and science superpower over the coming decade. The Launch of Visa’s AI Scholarships The partnership aims to increase diversity in the technology sector, assisting women, Black students, disabled students, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Visa said the scheme
A Florida State University researcher has been awarded the largest National Science Foundation (NSF) career grant in the university’s history. The award is one of the NSF’s most prestigious, designed to support early-career faculty who showcase outstanding scholarship through their research and contributions to education. Dr Yolanda Rankin Yolanda Rankin, an associate professor in the School of Information, was awarded a five-year $1.5 million grant to support her research on Black women’s careers in computing. Her approach prioritizes understanding and valuing the perspectives of Black women. Her work delves into
A federal judge in Georgia ruled that Fearless Fund, a venture capital fund for women of color, can continue offering a grant program only to Black women entrepreneurs. On Tuesday, the judge refused to issue an injunction blocking the program after a lawsuit alleged it engaged in “explicit racial exclusion”. The Lawsuit Against Fearless Fund The American Alliance for Equal Rights, founded by Edward Blum, brought a lawsuit against Fearless Fund in August 2023. It targeted the fund’s Fearless Strives Grant Contest, which awards Black women who own small businesses
Mundo Hispanic Digital, one of the oldest Certified Minority Latino media platforms in the US, has announced the launch of the MundoNow Project. The new Latino network aims to help advertising push beyond stereotypes to reach bilingual and second and third-generation Latino Americans. Breaking Latino Stereotypes Mundo Hispanic Digital is the parent company of the bilingual news and entertainment site MundoNow. President and CEO of MundoNow, Rene Alegria, has been working on breaking Latino stereotypes in the publishing content industry for over 25 years. According to Ad Exchanger, most programmatic
The Royal Society, an independent scientific academy in the UK, has launched a Career Development Fellowship for underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Career Development Fellowship The fellowship aims to provide early career scientists from underrepresented groups in STEM with research funding and high-quality training opportunities. The four-year postdoctoral research fellowship will initially run as a pilot with researchers of Black heritage. If successful, it will be broadened to researchers from other underrepresented groups. Reports from the Royal Society, which looked at trends across 11 years of
Operation HOPE has announced an extension to their 1 Million Black Business Initiative, “1MBB Next Gen” program. Operation HOPE aims to make free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved, as they have served more than four million individuals. They have also directed more than $4 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities. Operation HOPE announced its program at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative’s (CGI’s) Annual Meeting. The Clinton Global Initative was founded in 2005 by President Bill Clinton and brought together established and emerging global leaders. It implements solutions
Google and Howard University have announced a new partnership, Project Elevate Black Voices, to build a high-quality African-American English (AAE) speech dataset. The new partnership will allow Howard University to share the dataset with those looking to improve speech technology while establishing a framework for responsible data collection, ensuring the data benefits Black communities. Google has confirmed that the university will retain ownership of the dataset and licensing. Automatic Speech Recognition and Black People Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology allows humans to use their voices to speak with a computer
Two Black TikTok workers have formed a complaint to the US Government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) about racism and discrimination they faced at work. Nnete Matima and Joel Carter have accused TikTok’s parent company of racism and retaliation, alleging ByteDance Ltd. terminated their contracts after they spoke up about the discrimination. Nnete Matima Matima told CNN she was attracted to work at TikTok because the social media platform was “built upon Black culture” and the work of Black creators. After seeing TikTok’s pledge of support for the Black community
