Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford, a math teacher in Atlanta, will be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, making her the sixth Black woman to receive the award. As a mathematics educator, Jones has been teaching for over 20 years at Ron Clark Academy in Southeast Atlanta, going above and beyond for her students. She employs unique strategies that empower students, broaden their engagement, and foster a strong sense of community. “I’m incredibly proud to be among such amazing educators, but it lets me know there’s still work
Join our Patreon for extra-long episodes and ad-free content. In this episode of Techish, Abadesi chats with Bridget Todd (There Are No Girls on the Internet and IRL) about how AI is changing our lives, especially when it comes to companionship and relationships. They dive into the convenience economy, the responsibilities of tech companies and users, and why real community still matters in an increasingly AI-driven world. Follow Bridget Todd on Instagram @bridgetmarieindc Check out Bridget’s There Are No Girls On The Internet podcast and the IRL podcast Chapters 02:35 AI Lovers?!10:47 Convenience vs Community 23:18
Desange Kuenihira, a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been announced as UNHCR’s featured storyteller. After being forced to flee violence in the DRC, she found safety in a UNHCR-supported refugee camp in Uganda. Now, Kuenihira, a graduate of the University of Utah, has resettled in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is the author of Undefeated Woman. This book speaks about her refugee journey. Kuenihira creating unDEfeated In 2020, Kuenihira founded unDEfeated, a nonprofit organization that provides educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for girls and women facing severe financial hardship in
Yelp’s “Black-owned” tag, introduced in 2020 to boost the visibility of Black-owned businesses, led to lower average ratings of Black-owned restaurants in Detroit, a recent study by The Conversation has found. Restaurants tagged as Black-owned received 3.03 stars on average from reviewers aware of the ownership, compared to 3.78 stars from those who were unsure. Increased visibility, but lower ratings The visibility of Black-owned restaurants on Yelp significantly increased following Yelp’s June 2020 edition of the Black-owned tag. A year after the tag was introduced, reviews in Detroit mentioned Black
A group of West Michigan Black-led economic development organizations has received a $300,000 state grant to continue serving Black businesses in the area. The West Michigan Black Economic and Business Development Group was established during the COVID-19 pandemic and comprises Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses, Battle Creek-based Sisters in Business, Black Wall Street Kalamazoo, and Black Wall Street Muskegon. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. manages the Trusted Connector Grant program, which gives 23 organizations across the country a total of $6.8 million. A $300,000 grant The $300,000 grant will maintain
Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Small and Minority Business Advocacy & Development (SMBA&D) is working with US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) to support small, minority, and women-owned businesses. The new partnership will provide these entrepreneurs with access to certification programs, contracting opportunities, and business development support. With 102,000 Black-owned businesses in Maryland, this program will significantly benefit Black-business owners in the area. SMBA&D collaborating with USBC The USBC supports a network of African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations by providing them with resources and initiatives, and this collaboration will
Nahom Worku, a 21-year-old Ethiopian student at York University, is one of Apple’s Swift Student Challenge winners thanks to his innovative educational application, Access Ed. His app provides students in Ethiopia with consistent internet access, enabling them to utilize educational tools, according to Apple. Worku’s inspiration Growing up in Ethiopia, Worku frequently experienced unreliable internet access and observed the scarcity of quality education among many students. His app, Playground AccessEd, has solutions for both issues. So, he created an application that stores all user data and learning materials locally on
Kisha A. Brown, an award-winning civil rights attorney and speaker, is the founder of Justis Connection, a Black-owned legal tech platform. Justis Connection enables individuals to connect with trusted Black lawyers across various legal practices. It has recently announced its plan to prepare 1,000 Black lawyers ready to serve 1 million Black households across the United States. Black lawyers are still a minority Even though Black people in the US make up 13% of the population, Black lawyers represent approximately 5% of the legal profession, a figure that has remained
Since returning to office in January, President Trump has ramped up efforts to increase the deportation of immigrants, setting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants a day. In response, ICE raids have surged across the country. High-profile workplace operations in cities like Los Angeles have led to widespread protests and federal deployments. According to The Independent, demonstrations have erupted in more than 40 cities. Many of the recent detentions involve individuals with no prior criminal record. Immigrants now face the risk of arrest in
The Redemption Holding Company, a Black-led investment group, has completed its acquisition of Utah-based Holladay Bank and Trust, a woman-led bank that’s operated one brand in Salt Lake City since 1974. The acquisition marks the first time a bank has been owned by a Black-led investment group in the Rockies and Mountain West and also the first time Black investors have acquired a white-owned bank. The first Black-owned bank west of Texas The newly formed Redemption Bank will also be the first Black-owned financial institution to be located outside of
