The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Washington University after it fired a Black worker who opposed mandatory DEI training that separated her from her colleagues. This act violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, or sex. “Federal law protects workers who complain about race discrimination in the workplace, regardless of whether those complaints are made inside or outside the employer’s organization,” David S. Davis, director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District, said in a press release. About
A book deal from a Black author has collapsed after concerns that the writer used artificial intelligence. The manuscript Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, by Jerry Falade, was retracted from sale by its agent after receiving an offer for more than $2 million from Minotaur, owned by Macmillan US, according to The Guardian. The book, which was part of a 14-way auction, was set to publish in 2028. Jerry Falade’s book deal collapsing In an email sent to publishers viewed by the Guardian, Falade’s agents said, “Jerry Falade produced
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entreprenuers in the US. Black-women-owned businesses have increased by 13% between 2024 and 2024 compared to the 4.4% rate for women-owned businesses overall, according to Forbes. Black women turning to entrepreneurship Black women have been pushed out of the workforce as their unemployment rate has reached 7.3% in 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, Black women’s unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April, reached an all-time high of 6.2% in May, then dropped to 5.8% in June,
Actress Laverne Cox has shared how the Trump administration has affected her livelihood. Cox, who is known for her breakout role on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, explains that she’s “lost so much money” because brands are very scared to work with her amid the ongoing rollback of DEI programs. Laverne Cox being affected by DEI rollbacks Cox, whose book Transcendent was released in June, told Attitude Uncut that she’s been working hard to get out of a financial hole after she booked Orange Is The New Black. “But then I was
Diversity Lab, a legal industry consulting firm that promotes diversity practices in law firms and corporate legal departments, is closing its doors due to “meritless attacks by government agencies,” according to its founder. The US Federal Trade Commission attempted to enforce a settlement that would ban the firm from collecting or sharing law-firm-specific data and shut down its diversity certification program, as per Reuters. Diversity Lab, founded in 2013, furloughed its 17 employees and paused operations as it sought to resist the FTC’s investigation, which brought the firm to the
A new book that highlights how Black mid-career technology professionals are being pushed out of the job market has recently been published. The author, veteran career strategist and corporate executive Byron K. Veasey, argues that Black professionals are navigating a hiring market with several structural barriers. The Triple Barrier Locked Out: Proven Strategies to Navigate ATS Filters, Overcome Workplace Bias, and Win Senior-Level Roles in a Shifting Job Market for Black Professionals highlights what Veasay calls the Triple Barrier: a combination of algorithmic filtering, human bias, and the systematic dismantling
$942 million — or just 0.32% of total US venture funding went to companies with a Black founder or co-founder in 2025, according to Crunchbase data. The tide has turned slightly in 2025, with US-based startups founded or co-founded by a Black founder raising $643 million. Most of this funding was raised in the first quarter of the year, marking it the most raised in a single quarter since Q2 2022, when $653 million was raised by a Black founder or co-founder. However, Crunchbase highlights that this is still a
The word “Black” has been erased from a set of bills aimed at addressing the Black maternal health crisis, according to The 19th. The Momnibus Act, which was filed in March, was called the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in 2023, and was previously known as the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020. Changes to the word ‘Black’ in the bill References to the word “Black” in the bill have changed over time. In 2020, the text included numerous references to Black women. These were
PayPal and the Department of Justice have agreed to a settlement concerning the company’s 2020 DEI initiative, which invested in Black and minority businesses. PayPal is required to launch a new Small Business Initiative that excludes characteristics such as race, according to a press release. “This Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s vow to root out illegal DEI from every corner of corporate America,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. PayPal’s settlement with the Department of Justice In 2020, PayPal announced the discriminatory Economic Opportunity Fund, which provided $530
Braze is the leading customer engagement platform that empowers brands to Be Absolutely Engaging™. Founded in 2011 and working with 2,600+ brands, Braze helps brands deliver great customer experiences that drive value for both consumers and their businesses. From cross-channel messaging and journey orchestration to AI-powered decisioning and optimization, Braze enables companies to turn action into interaction through autonomous, 1:1 personalized experiences. POCIT sat down with Madison DeJesus, a Strategic Customer Success Manager at Braze, at the company’s headquarters in New York City to discuss her role, career journey, and
