In a historical move, Lakeland Bank has been ordered to pay a $13 million settlement fee to Black and Hispanic residents. According to NJ.com, Lakeland Bank was ordered by the Justice Department to pay Black and Hispanic borrowers back after it was revealed they conducted discriminatory practices to deprive them of purchasing their first home. According to U.S. Attorney Phillip Sellinger, Lakeland Bank accepted almost five times fewer Black and Hispanic applicants than its competitors. “Lakeland avoided serving the credit needs of borrowers in majority Black and Hispanic census tracts in
No one is in their bag like Keke Palmer. From becoming the host of Meta’s new metaverse series to starring in Jordan Peele’s first NOPE VR experience – Keke has entered a league of her own. Palmer’s latest venture is KeyTV Network, a digital space which will “spotlight the next generation of creators.” Palmer announced the launch while reflecting on the many hats she has worn throughout her time in the entertainment industry. “I want to share everything I learned with you because this is my greatest dream of all,” Keke explained.
Twitter has appointed Bukky Ojeifo as its new global head of culture and community following the departure of God-is Rivera, who previously held the position. In her new role, the Nigerian-American marketing expert will continue to carry the company’s mission of serving diverse voices who contribute to the public conversation on the platform. Before her new role, Ojeifo was the firm’s senior manager, global culture, and community. Her main role at the time? She guided how Twitter amplifies and engages with the underrepresented communities that use the service. Speaking to
In response to a racial bias case against electric vehicle-maker Tesla, a countersuit action has been put in place against the agency responsible. The case filed in state court in Alameda County claims the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) took “underground regulations” in its investigations of Tesla’s factory. The most popular vehicle maker said they were not given adequate notice of the claims or time to resolve the dispute, which violates state law. As we previously reported, the CRD sued Tesla earlier this year after workers claimed the organization racially
From pioneers and leaders to artists and icons, TIME has officially released its TIME100 Next list, highlighting emerging leaders worldwide who are actively shaping the future and redefining the next generation of leadership. The annual list, which recognizes 100 rising stars from a range of different sectors around the world, has featured some of the most influential people of the century. Although each person listed is entirely different from the others, they all share the extraordinary lengths they go to to help shape our world and change the future. This
Six months after Aziz Hasan stepped down from his chief executive role, Kickstarter has announced Everette Taylor as their new Chief Executive Officer. Taylor will take over from COO Sean Leow, who stepped up as interim CEO after Hasan announced he would be stepping down from his role after three years. Kickstarter, founded in 2009 by Perry Chen, is a crowdfunding platform that helps bring creative projects to life by directly connecting them with their communities. Over 21 million people have supported fund projects through the Kickstarter platform. “I am
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
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
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
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
