Solange Knowles’ Saint Heron has launched a free digital archival library of literature by Black and brown authors, poets, and artists. Readers can borrow rare and out-of-print books for up to 45 days, creating new pathways to access historically significant works. Improving access to Black archives Many historically significant Black material survives only in fragile, localized collections, such as archives, small presses, or personal holdings. Even when preserved by larger institutions, access is often restricted to vetted researchers with the right networks or affiliations. Saint Heron offers an alternative. By
The 2Africa submarine cable is scheduled to launch in September 2025 in locations including London, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. Facebook reported that it will span 45,000 kilometers across nine landings, collectively known as the 2Africa Pearls. The subsea cable will directly connect Africa, Europe, and Asia. Upon its completion, the extension will make 2Africa the longest subsea cable system in the world, according to Facebook. It will surpass the current record set by the SEA-ME-WE 3 line, which spans 39,000 km and connects 33 countries across South East Asia,
R&B artist named Xania Monet has just inked a $3 million deal with Hallwood Media, the company led by former Interscope executive Neil Jacobson, Billboard reports. But Xania isn’t human. She’s the AI-powered creation of Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a 31-year-old poet and design studio owner from Olive Branch, Mississippi. Jones, who grew up singing in church, writes all her own lyrics and uses the AI music-generation platform Suno to bring Monet’s music to life. Her tracks have been gaining momentum fast. On September 20, Xania debuted at No. 25 on Billboard’s
Former basketball star and serial entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal is partnering with used car retailer Carvana to launch an AI-powered assistant called the Shaqbot. “I’ve been buying and selling cars for years, and when I found Carvana, I really loved the ease and innovation of the brand. That’s what makes my partnership with Carvana so exciting,” O’Neal said in a press release. “And now for other Carvana fans, they can have a little fun with Shaqbot, an assistant as smart, smooth, and good-looking as me.” Shaq O’Neal launching AI assistant Built on
An Indigenous group in the Brazilian state of Ceará is taking TikTok to court over its planned data center, according to Rest of World. The Anacé has claimed the area where TikTok and Casa dos Ventos, a wind energy company that will power the data center, are to be built. Leaders of the community say their right to consultation was violated, and their concerns about water consumption related to this project were ignored. Indigenous communities must be consulted before construction on their land as part of the permit process. However,
Lion Forge Entertainment, the Black-owned studio behind a growing slate of diverse film and TV projects, has secured a $30 million in a funding round led by HarbourView Equity Partners, as first reported by Bloomberg. The Los Angeles–based studio, founded by David Steward II, son of billionaire tech entrepreneur David Steward, will use the capital to scale up production and expand its pipeline of original content. The Steward family, with an estimated net worth of about $8.7 billion, also invested and remain majority owners. Lion Forge develops and produces live-action and
A new social media platform designed for the Black community is set to launch. Byio – short for By Invite Only- is the first-ever SaaS, AI-forward social platform founded and owned by Black women, according to a press release. Byio is designed to build community. “Unlike traditional platforms that alienate and mistreat certain demographics, Byio is everything that all the others are not and can never be, because we prioritize authentic interactions, privacy, and user control,” it says on their website. A social media platform for and by Black women
Serena Ventures participated in a series B investment round for the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, and other investors included Warner Bros. Discovery and Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures. This latest investment brings the value of Unrivaled to $340 million, which is a historic figure for a young league. The basketball league is transforming women’s sports by offering female players six-figure salaries, according to Front Office Sports. Athletes earned $220,000 last season, compared to the average of $66,000 to $150,000 in the WNBA. About Unrivaled Unrivaled launched
Global advertising agency 72andSunny is facing backlash after launching a new app that critics say mimics Spill, a Black-owned next generation social platform designed to put culture first. According to Kenya T. Parham, Spill’s Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny’s Amsterdam office unveiled an app called SPIL*, which shares striking similarities with Spill. In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, the agency described SPIL as “a new type of news brand, made specifically for Gen Z in Europe.” Several Spill community members voiced their disappointment directly on the agency’s LinkedIn post before it was
Serena and Venus Williams are launching the Williams Family Excellence Program, a new initiative to support under-resourced communities with academic support, career pathways, and mentorship. Launched in partnership with the USTA Foundation, the program will help young people prepare for their lives both on and off the court. “This initiative stands as a living legacy to the Williams family—a tribute not only to Venus and Serena’s extraordinary achievements on the court, but to the unwavering determination, sacrifice, and resilience that define their family’s journey,” Kathleen Wu, President of the USTA
