Jamie Foxx is not here for the anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) narratives circulating in Hollywood . Foxx — born Eric Marlon Bishop — is the producer of Apple TV+’s “Number One On the Call Sheet,” a documentary that explores Black achievement in the film industry and the challenges Black women face in finding success. At the Los Angeles, CA, premiere on March 13, 2025, the Academy Award-winning actor emphasized the film’s importance, stating that it is more relevant now than ever. “Look what’s going on out there. They trying to erase everything we do… They talking about the DEI , affirmative action, we don’t need Black history . Why you picking on our history?” Foxx told Extra. “So, we just do more history. The more you erase, the more we replace. So, that’s all it is. We ain’t gonna be shy about it. Leave us alone. Let us enjoy. Let us all be American.” Since 2024, several high-profile companies have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs , citing pressure from...

If you or someone you love is an immigrant to the United States, you may be experiencing a great deal of trepidation right now. Not only has Donald Trump’s new cabinet been voracious about rounding up and deporting people from all over the world, they have also expressed interest in closing down the border and locking out any immigrants who they nebulously deem undesirable. This process has already begun, leading to an untold number of families being torn apart. While this is quite tragic, there are several American businesses that have maintained their commitment to the inclusion of migrants, meaning there’s still hope for those who plan to enter the country and stay long-term. Many of these companies are even offering highly competitive roles to newly-minted Americans, particularly in the world of finance and tech. Despite the many challenges that immigrants face, these companies may provide a veritable boom of new workers. This is especially true of massive corporations that have...

A lawsuit stating Google favored white and Asian workers has been settled. According to CNN, Ana Cantu, a former Google employee who identifies as Mexican and racially Indigenous, brought forward a lawsuit that claimed the tech giant offered lower salaries and job levels to those of Hispanic, Latino, Native American, Indigenous, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Alaska Native employees at Google. It was filed in 2021. In the lawsuit, Cantu said that during her seven-year tenure working in Google’s people operations and cloud departments, she was not given a promotion or salary increase. She alleged that white and Asian workers with the same work performance were promoted and received raises, while other workers who complained about the treatment had these opportunities withheld. Cantu left the company in September 2021, claiming Google did not adhere to the California Equal Pay Act. Additionally, leaked documents showed about 6,632 diverse employees reported...

The Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA) is among several organizations impacted by President Donald Trump’s termination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across various sectors. According to The Brown Daily Herald, every January, RIBBA, a Providence, RI -based nonprofit dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap through business development programs for small business owners , requests funding packages from its larger company partners, typically ranging from $7,500 to $100,000. However, some partners have indicated that their funding pool has been reduced this year, with many delaying their funding decisions until April and offering reduced financial packages. “This trend aligns with broader shifts in corporate giving and budget constraints that many nonprofits are experiencing nationwide,” RIBBA President and CEO Lisa Ranglin said in an email to The Herald. According to WPRI Channel 12, Ranglin stated that following Trump’s rollbacks of DEI...

Ava DuVernay , Janelle Monáe, Chris Rock, and Cynthia Erivo are among over 400 Hollywood filmmakers, writers, actors, and musicians who signed an open letter urging President Trump’s administration not to roll back copyright protections at the request of AI companies. The creatives penned the letter in response to recent submissions to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), during which Google and OpenAI asserted that U.S. copyright law should permit AI companies to train their systems on copyrighted works without needing permission or compensation from the rights holders, according to Variety. “We firmly believe that America’s global AI leadership must not come at the expense of our essential creative industries,” the letter states. “America’s arts and entertainment industry supports over 2.3 million American jobs with over $229 billion in wages annually while providing the foundation for American democratic influence and soft power abroad. But AI companies are asking...

Kevin Hart is aligning himself with an initiative to support Black founders using artificial intelligence (AI). The AI Illumination Grant has been launched by the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a nonprofit advocacy organization founded by Aurora James. The initiative challenges retailers and corporations to allocate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned brands. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, 29 retailers have committed to this pledge, benefiting 800 Black-owned brands . The Fifteen Percent Pledge is scaling its efforts to support Black entrepreneurs with the aid of Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz (A16z). Eligible members of the Fifteen Percent Pledge’s Business Equity Community are invited to apply for a chance to gain insights on leveraging AI and compete for a share of a $35,000 grant pool—$20,000 for the winner and $15,000 for the runner-up. “It is specifically focused on ensuring that the Black founders that are a part of the 15% pledge program don’t get...

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is a serial investor passionate about educating the youth in STEM. NFL Days Fitzgerald Jr. is a former NFL player drafted in 2004 by the Arizona Cardinals. ESPN mentions that his selection for the team was a no-brainer for general manager Rod Graves and head coach Dennis Green, who passed away in 2016. The Football Foundation notes that Fitzgerald Jr. was one of the best wide receivers in college football history. He was also the first sophomore to receive the Walter Camp Player of the Year award given to athletes who strive for excellence in their careers while benefiting others. View this post on Instagram A post shared by College Football Hall of Fame (@cfbhall) “[Green] knew the family, he knew all of that, but there was no question about [Fitzgerald’s] football ability,” Graves said, according to ESPN. “Based on all the information we had, we felt that he was the No. 1 player in the country.” Larry Fitzgerald Foundation One year after being drafted into the...

Megan Holston-Alexander is shifting the investment mindset of cultural leaders. The Montgomery, AL, native is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund, which connects global leaders such as athletes, entertainers, musicians, and C-level executives with emerging technology companies and champions the next generation of Blacks in technology. According to TechCrunch, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has a stake in at least 300 companies in sectors that include crypto, consumer, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, and biotech. It is also “Silicon Valley’s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations,” its website mentions. Holston-Alexander is dedicated explicitly to wealth generation in technology for the Black community and is tasked with finding and sourcing deals. She has remained in her role at Andreessen Horowitz since 2020. “When you think about companies that have grown and IPO that we all talk about, the Facebooks and...

If you are creating impact as a founder and leader or are a corporate catalyst interested in joining a board, look no further than AFROTECH’s Board Readiness Summit. From 10 a.m. ET to noon ET on March 25, 2025, this virtual event will deliver exclusive insights and strategies to empower you with the tools and confidence to secure a board seat. Landing a post whether for a nonprofit, which is often a good starting point, or for-profit, will require experience and skills such as strategic planning and development, leadership, collaboration and more, Forbes notes. Learn From Nancy Twine To position you for success, discussions will be led by industry leaders, starting with former Goldman Sachs VP Nancy Twine, who launched Briogeo Hair Care in 2013 and turned it into a $100 million business within nearly a decade, according to Forbes. She also made history as the youngest Black woman to launch products at Sephora. The brand went on to land placement at Ulta Beauty. What’s more, Twine...

A middle school teacher in Meridian, ID, reported being forced to remove signs reading “Everyone is welcome here” and “Everyone in this room is welcome, important, accepted, respected, encouraged, valued, and equal” from her classroom display. West Ada School District officials believed sixth-grade world civilization teacher Sarah Inama’s signs violated a policy mandating neutral classroom content and respect for others’ right to express differing opinions, according to KTVB Channel 7. “They told me that they were in violation of district policy because, in today’s political environment, they’re considered a personal opinion,” Inama said. Initially, she removed the signs but later changed her mind, believing the message reflects a fundamental value of public education. Inama said her signs are consistent with district posters encouraging students to “welcome others and embrace diversity.” “I just feel like as a teacher… I would do anything to protect my students. I love all of them...

Entrepreneur Kiara Imani Williams claims she was dropped from Target on short notice. Williams is an attorney with a decade of experience in entertainment law, a writer, and the co-founder of the card game LikeU, which is designed to spark conversations among family and friends. LikeU made its way onto Target shelves during a period when many companies were pledging to support diverse brands as a result of George Floyd being murdered at the hands of police brutality. Williams believed Target’s commitment was genuine and would endure, but has been mistaken. “LikeU cards were born out of the conversations that emerged after George Floyd’s murder—a time when so many people were searching for ways to connect, to listen, and to understand,” Williams said in an email interview with AFROTECH™. “Target made a pledge to support diverse communities at that moment, and it was that commitment that made me believe they were the right fit. But since then, like many other organizations, they’ve...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. The tech industry has faced a wave of shutdowns and layoffs over the past three years, but there may finally be some hope on the horizon. Recently, there’s been an upward trend in companies announcing M&A activity and plans to go public. These announcements not only matter to those who work at or invest in these companies, but they also create opportunities for those looking to break into the tech world—whether as employees or founders. While these signals point to progress, we must not lose sight of the challenges the industry has faced over the past four years—challenges that make even the smallest signs of change feel significant. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, venture capital-backed startups experienced a surge in activity. Historically low interest rates made capital easy to borrow and invest, leading to increased funding for early-stage startups from venture capital firms. Crunchbase...

Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, is leveraging technology to improve the health and wellness of its players. The 3-on-3 league founded in 2023 by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has been backed by Samsung, its official technology and presenting partner. According to a press release, Samsung is providing the league with technologies such as its Galaxy S Series, Z Series smartphones, headphones (Galaxy Buds), tablets featuring Galaxy AI, monitors, and wearables (Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring). “We’re a new league,” Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell told AFROTECH™ . “There’s a lot of innovation involved. There’s a lot of unknowns involved, and we’re trying to kind of push the envelope forward and having Samsung be a part of that innovation with what they’re already doing. Obviously, it’s a pretty seamless partnership for us.” Collier’s Most-Used Technology As An Athlete Collier — who was named Unrivaled’s first MVP — said she mostly utilizes the Galaxy Ring,...

In tech, where innovation reigns supreme, Celonis isn’t just playing the game—it’s changing it. As the global leader in process mining intelligence, Celonis is revolutionizing how businesses operate, cutting inefficiencies and driving real impact. But let’s be real—transforming industries is only half the mission. The real flex? Investing in people. And that’s exactly why Celonis has partnered with AFROTECH™—to open doors, create opportunities, and ensure Black tech professionals have a seat (and a voice) at the table. Celonis is taking businesses from “doing things the way they’ve always been done” to “doing things smarter, faster, and more sustainably.” By using AI-driven process mining, companies like Dell, Uber, and Johnson & Johnson are unlocking hidden value, making data-driven decisions, and stepping boldly into the future. But Celonis isn’t just about optimizing workflows—it’s about optimizing opportunities for Black tech professionals to lead, innovate, and drive change. At...

High School senior Mantavius Presley has a bright future ahead. As a student at Douglas County High School, located at Douglasville, GA, Presley has prioritized more than just his academics to make a meaningful impact within and beyond school walls. According to WSB-TV 2, he serves as president of Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society , as well as vice president of the student government and Class of 2025. In addition, Presley has taken on leadership roles as the manager of the junior varsity and varsity cheer teams and is a member of the yearbook staff, all while dedicating over 1,100 hours to community service, per Atlanta News First. As he prepares to walk the stage in the spring, Presley’s next chapter in higher learning is already in motion. He has received acceptances from more than 58 colleges and universities. Among the interested academic institutions are The University of Alabama, Mercer University, and Historically Black Colleges and...