“DEI must DIE,” Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, boldly declared in a Twitter/X post on December 15. “The point was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination.” The South African Tesla and Twitter/X owner doubled down the following day, adding, “‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ are propaganda words for racism, sexism and other -isms. This is just as morally wrong as any other racism and sexism.” Who benefits from DEI? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives aim to rectify historical and ongoing discrimination by providing equal access and opportunities
The Rector Cares Foundation has launched Nkuzi STEM, a pioneering program creating pathways for young people across Nigeria aged 15-20 to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). “The lack of diversity in technology not only limits the industry’s potential but also perpetuates inequality,” said Rector Cares Foundations founder Onyedikachi Erete. “Nkuzi STEM seeks to break down those barriers and create a tech landscape that reflects the richness of our society.” Improving lives for Nigerians The Rector Cares Foundation, a non-governmental organization focused on empowering communities in Nigeria with
Mother-daughter duo Claudia and London Walker are set to release “The ABCs of Cybersecurity,” an adventure book and mobile game to equip children with the tools needed to navigate the digital world. Meet Claudia Walker Claudia Walker is an educator who paved the way to ensure financial literacy is accessible to children. Before Walker entered the education field, she worked on Wall Street as a financial analyst. Walk then shared her experiences with students about the money capital and attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) after noticing many weren’t
NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, has partnered with Black-owned educational tech company Rhymes with Reason to help 250 students in Cleveland build their literacy and vocabulary skills through popular music. By the age of three, children with professional parents get vocabulary exposure that is two times larger than working-class children. As working-class children comprise the majority of American kids, the word gap persists through primary education, creating a reality where 65% of all students read below the level in 4th grade. Rhymes With Reason was designed to change this narrative
Code Black Indy (CBI) has plans to expand its programs as it receives a $30,000 economic mobility graant from the Bank of America. What Is Cody Black Indy? CBI seeks to reintegrate the “The Village” principle back into the community. The non-profit serves Hoosiers who are underrepresented in the tech field, like people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, and those from low-income backgrounds. Through collaborations such as hands-on training, mentorship, and job placement support, they seek to redefine how one learns through applying technical skills. After working in corporate
“The money’s out there, we make it easy to find.” Scholarship app Scholly is the brainchild of Christoper Gray, who won $1.3 million in scholarships after hours of searching in the library. He eventually received scholarships from organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation to study finance and entrepreneurship at Drexel University. However, after realizing how broken and time-consuming the scholarship-searching process was, he created Scholly to make things easier for students. Private student lending company Sallie Mae acquired Scholly in August 2023. This
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced a new partnership with Google. It aims to highlight Google’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) platform systems for young college talent. SWAC is considered one of the premier Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCU) conferences in the country, and currency ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alums playing with professional sports teams. The Initative Through the initiative, SWAC and Google are focused on providing an innovative approach to engage students in tech during their college tenure,
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and Amazon have partnered to bring Native American and Indigenous teams together in Robotics. The REC Foundation The REC Foundation is a global organization dedicated to increasing student engagement in science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science (STEM). They engage students in hands-on, curriculum-based robotics and drone programs. The foundation empowers educators to inspire and equip students for success through comprehensive programs encompassing competitions, education, and workforce readiness. Now, partnering with Amazon, Indigitize, and Google, they are bringing Native American and Indigenous teams
A new Black-led professional technology training program is coming to Charlotte as a boot camp in February 2024. Boot camps serve as an alternate pathway into tech careers, and focuses can range from software development and designing user experience to coding and cybersecurity. According to an analysis shared by the NAACP, less than 6% of participants in technology-focused boot camps are Black. Dark Mode is a company aiming to connect and train diverse talent in the tech industry. Lusenii Kromah, a Charlotte native, founded it. The UX Bootcamp They have announced their
A Black family designed the web series Gracie’s Corner to provide engaging and educational information to Black children through entertainment and music. In a recent interview with The Dig, they shared why they aren’t worried about the impact of AI and children’s education. Culturally Relevant Digital Education A report found that young Black students had increasingly reported their feelings of unwantedness in their academic spaces and the toll of energy they must exert to feel safe in these spaces. In 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
