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Issa Rae refers to Sienna Naturals’ expansion with Sephora as a “dream come true.” Rae co-founded the award-winning hair care brand Sienna Naturals, which was first envisioned by Hannah Diop in 2012. Diop, reflecting on her own challenges in finding hair products that met her needs, recalls how clarifying shampoos fell short in restoring her hair’s health during her time on the swim team. This firsthand experience played a pivotal role in shaping Sienna Naturals, a brand founded on a proprietary clean chemistry approach that prioritizes scalp health , according t o the brand’s website. The haircare line is powered by hydrating, abiotic, pH-balanced ingredients (H.A.P.I.). “The first impression I want people to have when they use Sienna Naturals is how beautiful their hair is. So that wet-feel design is very intentional,” Diop told AFROTECH™. Photo Credit: Sienna Naturals When Rae discovered Sienna Naturals, she was in the process of learning how to best care for her natural hair...
Several Philadelphia, PA , businesses have been passed down through generations, including Paul Beale’s Florist. According to our sister site, Travel Noire, the florist shop, founded by Paul and Altermese Beale in 1971, has spent nearly five decades cultivating a loyal customer base. For Paulette Beale Harris, the second-generation owner, carrying on the family’s legacy isn’t a responsibility she takes lightly. She emphasized that she doesn’t want her parents’ hard work and sacrifices to be “in vain.” In honor of Black History Month , Visit Philadelphia has launched a four-part video series titled “Legacy & Love.” The series highlights Black-owned businesses that span generations and the families behind them, as well as businesses launched to honor loved ones, Travel Noire highlighted. The videos, available on visitphilly.com , feature the stories of the Beale family, Lori Thomson and her mother, Vera Doyle from Vera Doyle Boutique, Yvonne Blake and her granddaughter Alana Rambera...
Educator Yaa Yaa Catherine Whaley-Williams has built an education hub in her community. Whaley-Williams, the director of student equity in the Monticello Central School District in Monticello, NY, is the founder of Sadie’s Books and Beverages. The business opened in 2022 and made history in the process. News-12 reports it is the first Black-owned bookstore in Orange County, NY. Sadie’s Books and Beverages offers a diverse selection of books, which includes hundreds of Black authors across 23 genres, according to the Times Herald-Record reports. Accessibility is also important to Whaley-Williams, so she launched a program that slashes the prices of new books for children to $3 and $7. “When I was a kid getting a free or discounted book, it was usually dog-eared or had writing in it, or some pages missing,” she explained to the outlet. “But getting a discounted book shouldn’t mean that it’s anything less than brand new.” Locals can also expect special activations from the local shop...
There were great sacrifices that Fawn and Keith Weaver made to ensure that the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand would not fail. Today, Uncle Nearest is recognized as a force within the spirits industry, reflecting the resilience of Fawn, whose story is one of overcoming adversity with triumph. She dropped out of school in 10th grade, bounced between homeless shelters, and attempted to take her life twice. She viewed her struggles as affirmation of a higher calling — one that has materialized into an award-winning whiskey brand that has topped a billion-dollar valuation and is the fastest-growing American whiskey in history, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The inception of Uncle Nearest resulted from relentless research Fawn conducted in Lynchburg, TN, to uncover the story of Nathan “Nearest” Green. Enslaved at the time, Green was responsible for teaching Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel how to make whiskey using the technique known as “sugar maple charcoal filtering.” Some call this the...
February marks a pivotal moment in Black history, and one town in Maryland is celebrating with a record number of Black-owned businesses . Princess Anne, located in Somerset County, MD, and serving as its county seat, now boasts at least 25 Black-owned businesses in its town of fewer than 4,000 residents, according to WBOC-TV. “When I first moved to this area, I was told that the last known lynching was in Princess Anne, Maryland,” said business owner Leslie Coker, reflecting on the past. “That there is now 25 Black-owned businesses in a county that has less than 4,000 people, that’s phenomenal.” Coker runs the Dynamic Divas majorette dance company, one of the Black-owned businesses contributing to Princess Anne’s record-breaking milestone. Alongside Croker, business owner Dale Parker runs the Cropa Station restaurant with his partner, while Danae Ballard launched her salon, Alluring Looks by Danae, at just 21 years old. They all take pride in being part of a community representing...
Some facts about Black History Month have been well-established: Carter G. Woodson was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. His frat created Negro History and Literature Week in 1924. Woodson sent out a press release to announce the first Negro History Week. He chose February to honor another historical legend, a formerly-enslaved-man-turned-activist Frederick Douglass, who had chosen February 14 as his birthday without knowing his real birthdate. Negro History Week was also chosen to honor former President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12. And on its 50th anniversary, in 1976, younger members of the Association for the Study of African American History extended Negro History Week to Black History Month. While all of these facts are inarguable, there’s one point that remains vague: What exactly are you supposed to do during Black History Month? Like Juneteenth , there were never any established rules. For employees who want to honor this month, are there tips for how to...
Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress. Barack Obama was the first Black man to serve as President of the United States. Althea Gibson was the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam Tournament. Bayard Rustin organized and strategized alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., more notably leading the efforts to structure the March on Washington. The above facts are just a tiny drop in the bucket of history related to Black people and their contributions to America and the world. From the halls of academia to the entertainment industry, tech and business, and any other sector in between – no space exists without the imprint of Black people. For some, the range of excellence is held tightly in the short month of February. According to the NAACP, the month started as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. The week would eventually develop into Black History Month and be federally recognized in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. And while the world pauses to...
Seeing a Black woman break into the tech industry is always an accomplishment to celebrate, but what makes the win even more major is how they lift up others along with them. In the age of social media, the underrepresented group is not only sharing their experiences in their fields but also using their platforms to create a domino effect of Black talent going from sending in their resumes to signing job offer letters. Here are 10 Black women tech influencers who are working with big names like Google, Meta, and Microsoft that are teaching the ins and outs of the industry to help bring more of the community on board.
All geniuses don’t wear lab coats. Sometimes, they ditch the lab coat and lead the way for innovation in technology! When Josh Aviv first conjured up the idea for SparkCharge, he was simply just trying to create a solution that would provide accessibility to the smart car industry for more people! “I started this company in my dorm room,” said Aviv in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. “While on the campus of Syracuse University, we were the definition of a dorm room startup. From there, we had the opportunity to really receive some really good investments.” He continued: “And we were able to grow the company from one founder to a team of just about 40 employees.”
This Florida A&M University student bet on herself and landed in national stores. Kah’Milah Ledgester submitted her designs for Target’s 2021 HBCU design contest and JCPenney’s Young, Gifted and Black design challenge. And, putting her hands in various baskets paid off. Ledgester was informed she won both competitions during the spring of 2021 and to expect them displayed on a national scale for Black History Month of 2022. FAMU senior graphic design student Kah'Milah Ledgester recently appeared in a @Target commercial showcasing her work for their 2022 Black History Collection! Way to strike from the top, Kah'Milah! Check out the commercial below! #famu #rattlers #blackbeyondmeasure pic.twitter.com/q2k7HukC3F — FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (@FAMUSJGC82) November 26, 2021 “I always get a little excited because of the fact that I did the Target challenge, and I also did JCPenney and won both of them. It made me feel very good because I took a chance,” said...
Lauren Simmons is the perfect example of a story about turning tragedy into triumph. In an op-ed for CNBC, the history-making Wall Street trader talked about how her journey was full of twists and turns — but it was her humble origins that kept her grounded. “One thing I’ve noticed is that, in general, most people have poor spending habits and struggle to save money. It may sound intense, but I save 85% of my annual income,” she explained. Additionally, Lauren Simmons also went into great detail about the difference between her needs and her wants. She saves money by taking care of her housing expenses upfront, splitting the cost of “treats” (like streaming service subscriptions) with other members of her family, plus ditching gym fees and taking part in free and outdoor activities to take care of her physical fitness. She also explained how she likes to travel — and saves money by traveling during the “off-season” instead of the peak season. Sometimes, she said, she can save up to...
Capital One will continue to support underserved communities. The banking service will build on its $200 million multi-year commitment by contributing an additional $10 million to existing and new partnerships. The funding aims to close gaps in equity and opportunity to foster growth for underserved communities. Recipients of the new funding include African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, Vera Institute of Justice, United Negro College Fund, finEQUITY, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Black Girl Ventures, and Jobs for the Future. In addition, Capital One will target funding toward Black-owned businesses. The contribution will be timely as various Black businesses experienced financial droughts during the peak of the pandemic. Capital One will partner with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity to create the Capital One Business grant program. Business owners will receive $10,000 grants through the program and access to free resources to propel their business through...
The kids will forever be alright, especially with a drive like this! Imunique Triplett hasn’t even graduated high school yet, but she is making boss moves with a college degree under her belt — so, the possibilities are endless. According to The Black Detour, the 17-year-old is one of the first students to complete the process of obtaining her nursing degree, thanks to the M-Cubed College Connections program.
Is this how we’re kicking off Black History Month? Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores will officially sue the National Football League (NFL) for “racism in hiring” per reports from ESPN. He will also sue individual teams for the same alleged racist practices, which include the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants, and the Dolphins. “God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals,” said Flores in a statement surrounding the news. “In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.”