The city of Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to Robert Williams, a Black man wrongly arrested for shoplifting due to flawed facial recognition technology. As part of the settlement, the city will also make changes to how police use facial recognition software when making arrests. A Case of Mistaken Identity Robert Williams’ wrongful arrest stems from a misidentification by facial recognition software. According to The Guardian, the software incorrectly matched Williams’ driver’s license photo to a suspect seen in a 2018 security video from a Shinola watch store. Despite
South Carolina State University (SC State), the only historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the state, has secured an $8 million allocation from the state. The funding aims to enhance its Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) research and workforce development initiatives in partnership with Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). This funding marks a milestone for the university’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Transportation (STEM-T College). A Historic Investment in STEM This $8 million is part of an initial $40 million state proviso designed to support various
Latinas face the steepest drop in representation as they climb the corporate ladder, according to Lean In’s first-ever report on the state of Latinas in corporate America. Despite Latinas accounting for nearly 1 in 10 people in the US, they hold less than 1 in 20 entry-level corporate jobs and only 1 in 100 C-suite positions. Disparities in Advancement and Pay In 2023, white men’s representation increased by nearly two-thirds (64%) from entry-level to C-suite positions, while Latinas’ representation decreased by over three-quarters (78%). Latinas also experience the largest pay
Verzuz, the multimedia platform co-founded by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, announced a new distribution deal with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). Episodes will stream for free exclusively on X, while VERZUZ maintains full ownership and creative control. VERZUZ comes to X This partnership follows Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s reacquisition of VERZUZ from Triller after a lawsuit over $28 million in unpaid fees. Despite legal issues, the founders kept their equity in Triller and retained the artists who participated in VERZUZ. Swizz Beatz expressed excitement about the partnership: “We are beyond
Black N’ Out is a platform for Black LGBTQIA+ professionals in tech to connect, support, and uplift each other. Black people are already underrepresented in tech, making up only 8% of the workforce. For Black LGBTQ+ individuals, this exclusion is even more pronounced. However, Black N’ Out is on a mission to create a welcoming and inclusive space for Black LGBTQIA+ individuals in tech. The Story Of Black N’ Out Black N’ Out was founded in 2023 by Brandon Sidney and Ryan Wesley after the pair attended several tech conferences
The Google for Startups Founders Fund is back for the fifth year and is funding 20 Black and Latine AI companies in the US. The fund first launched as part of Google’s $175 million commitment towards racial equity and to date has deployed more than $50 million dollars to more than 570 Black and Latine founders around the world. Google For Startups Founders Fund & AI As AI developments are on the rise, this year, Google has funded 20 US-based companies that are pushing the boundaries in AI. The companies
Fearless Fund’s co-founder, Ayana Parsons, has stepped down from her role as chief operating officer after five years against the venture capital firm. Parson stated that her resignation is unrelated to the ongoing lawsuit from Edward Blum’s conservative group. Fearless Fund Co-Founder Steps Down Parson, who co-founded the organization with Arian Simone and Keisha Knight Pulliam in 2019, served as the fund’s chief operating officer for nearly five years. In an official press release, Parson, who is also the co-founder of Yardstick, announced that she would be stepping down to
Every June, Pride Month celebrates LGBTQ+ communities worldwide and honors their contributions to society. It’s also a time to recognize the ongoing struggle for representation, equality, and acceptance. In the tech industry, the LGBTQ+ community is underrepresented, with only 11% identifying as LGBTQ+. A McKinsey and Co. report found that while Black people make up 12% of the US workforce, only 8% are in tech jobs, resulting in a relatively low number of Black LGBTQ+ individuals in tech. Despite these challenges, many Black LGBTQ+ people are paving the way for
Record labels including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records are suing AI song-generators Suno and Udio for ‘mass copyright infringement’. The lawsuits allege that the music startups are exploiting the works of artists including Chuck Berry, Billie Holiday, and Michael Jackson. What Does Suno And Udio Do? Suno and Udio have garnered attention over the last few months for their music-generation capabilities. The platforms allow users to create complete songs using a single-word prompt, and most recently, they added new updates enabling you to upload your audio
Black Space Week Roll Call has taken over X, showcasing Black professionals in the space industry, leading them to The White House. Black In Astro Each year, Black In Astro hosts a Black Space Week to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans in space-related fields. The Black In Astro journey began in June 2020, in the wake of a series of violent police attacks against Black Americans. Founded by Ashley Walker, a PhD student at Howard University, Black In Astro was designed to link together a community of Black scientists
