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Corporate Executive Justin Grant wants to see more Black executives sponsor people within their community. Sponsorship allows an individual in a higher position than you to advocate for you in rooms with the goal of helping your career reach new heights, unlike mentorship , which typically is intended for skill building and obtaining more knowledge. “You want your boss’s peers in other departments to know who you are and to be in your network and to be folks that will, when your name comes up, when they’re deciding who to promote or who to give the bigger bonus to. ‘Yeah, I know that person. I vouch for them.’ So I think that’s the distinction,” Grant said on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. Grant credits three white individuals for serving as executive sponsors throughout his career and speaks to an alarming trend that he witnessed that has prompted a call to action. He notes that Black executives have been less inclined to open...
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, while much of the country slept, President Donald Trump made yet another grand declaration. It was reminiscent of his past bold claims—Mexico paying for the wall, immediate healthcare overhauls, the return of American manufacturing—statements that electrified his base but often failed to materialize in the real world. This time, the promise was more personal. “I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” Trump announced, as reported by CNBC. And yet, as the day unfolded, there were no White House photo ops, no congratulatory X posts from Musk, and no sign of a freshly delivered Tesla in the presidential motorcade. What initially seemed like an act of economic defiance against Tesla’s plunging stock price quickly revealed itself as something else entirely—another carefully staged performance in the political theater that now defines the Trump-Musk alliance....
Tallahassee, FL, is a growing hub for Black businesses, but there is still room for improvement. A survey released by LendingTree reveals that the city has surpassed the national average for Black-owned businesses, notes WUSF. Out of Tallahassee’s 7,828 businesses, 549 are Black-owned. Nationally, 3.3% of businesses are Black-owned as of 2022, which is a 22.2% year-over-year increase. “We found that 7% of businesses in Tallahassee are Black-owned, and that puts Tallahassee tied for 14th among the 50 biggest metros in the country,” Matt Schulz, the chief credit analyst for Lending Tree , remarked, according to the outlet. While Tallahassee’s statistics appear hopeful, considering the area’s Black population, there is still much work to be done. “When you contrast that to the fact that about 32% of the population of the city is Black, there’s a lot of room for growth,” said Schulz. Xclusive VIP Fashions Founder Kenneth Barber commented: “To that point, it becomes a growing pain.”...
Cam Newton is taking his production company to new heights. Founded in 2012, Iconic Saga is a dynamic production company that collaborates with a wide range of clients and brands, delivering non-scripted digital content, scripted series, children’s programming, and animation, according to its LinkedIn profile. The company has worked with prominent names like Nickelodeon, Facebook, and ESPN. Per Boardroom, Newton is strategically aligning all of his creative ventures under the Saga umbrella, including his web series “Funky Friday” and “4th & 1.” “Media is at a very interesting space right now because you have people who are gaining more validation by being able to speak on certain topics, as opposed to the days where somebody can just voice their opinion and say, ‘Okay, boom. That’s the show.’ Well, in this day and age, it is being able to be authentic to what you’re talking about and how you’re talking about it. And we’re seeing more and more creatives or creators create stories,...
The thing about economic policies is that they don’t operate in a vacuum. Every decision — every tax, every regulation, every tariff — sends ripples through the system. Some people surf the waves. Others get drowned by them. Tariffs have long been used as a tool of economic warfare, a way for nations to protect their industries or punish their rivals. But under President Donald Trump, tariffs have become something else entirely: a high-stakes bargaining chip in a trade war that seems to have no end. According to CNN, his latest round of 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, along with another 10% levy on Chinese goods, has thrown American businesses, workers, and consumers into a state of economic uncertainty. The White House insists tariffs will protect American industries, but history tells a different story. Prices are rising, businesses are struggling, and working-class families — many already battling inflation — will be forced to make tough choices. Tariffs In Context:...
Hong Kong, China -based company CK Hutchison Holdings Limited has agreed to sell its stake in two ports on the Panama Canal to a U.S.-led consortium in a $22.8 billion deal. On March 4, CK Hutchinson announced the deal, which includes the selling of its subsidiary, Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) — the owner of terminals and other assets at the ports of Balboa and Cristobal in Panama. The consortium making the purchase includes BlackRock, a U.S. private equity firm, and MSC, based in Geneva, Switzerland, according to Freight Waves. This is just the latest since President Donald Trump made disputed claims that the Chinese military was in control of the Panama Canal and transit tolls were being unfairly charged to American vessels. Trump also threatened U.S. action to regain control of the waterway, which it transferred to Panama in 1999. The canal is an essential route for military and merchant vessels between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, per the outlet. Frank Sixt, co-managing...
Dr. Bernard Harris will be inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. The Temple, TX, native graduated from the University of Houston in 1978 with a bachelor of science degree in biology. He then attended medical school at Texas Tech University and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in 1985, followed by a fellowship at NASA’s Ames Research Center, according to a news release. Dr. Harris joined NASA as a clinical scientist and flight surgeon. He remained with the agency from 1990 to 2010, and during his tenure, he became an astronaut and served as a mission specialist on STS-55 (1993) and the groundbreaking STS-63 flight in 1995, which made him the first African American to walk in space. In total, Dr. Harris has spent 18 days in space and has flown seven million miles, he notes on his LinkedIn. “Space exploration has always been about pushing boundaries, inspiring future generations, and proving that the impossible is achievable,” Dr. Harris said in a news release. “I am...
If you’ve grown up in the digital age , you likely have some understanding of how unreliable information spreads across the net. Millennials far and wide have been inundated with enough YouTube troll comments, Nigerian prince emails and “free iPhone” pop-ups to build a healthy skepticism of internet browsing. Now, it seems that this learning curve has become a perennial part of growing up, as Gen Z and Gen Alpha are surmising that social media apps like TikTok are rife with terrible financial advice. New studies from researchers at Intuit Credit Karma estimate that over 77 percent of Gen Z kids are looking to influencers on the short-form video app for money management, while roughly 61 percent of millennials are doing the same on YouTube and Facebook . In order to understand just how damaging these financial words of wisdom can be to a growing audience of youngsters, lets take a moment to briefly run through the data, and see exactly where young people are being led astray. After...
At an early age, Maseray S. Kamara understood the importance of healthcare. Now, she is contributing to the creation of quality care for patients. Her professional journey dates back to Woodbridge, VA where she was raised by parents from Sierra Leone, West Africa. They informed her of various family members , some impacted by sickle cell, which can cause pain, infections, and joint issues throughout the body, according to the National Institutes of Health. These early conversations profoundly influenced her passion for healthcare and the importance of improving access to it. She also credits a science project from her eighth-grade year surrounding heart rates as a pivotal moment in solidifying her career path. In 2008, Kamara’s interest in science led her to Princeton University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology. After that, she attended Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine to obtain a medical degree. She successfully completed her...
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, LA, in August 2005, wiping out 200,000 trees. While the city has faced challenges in restoring its tree canopy, efforts were underway thanks to a $75 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service to the Arbor Day Foundation that aimed to plant trees in neighborhoods without the resources to afford them, according to The Associated Press. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has, at least for now, terminated the funding to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order focused on banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts within the federal government. “Protecting the people and communities we serve, as well as the infrastructure, businesses, and resources they depend on to grow and thrive, remains a top priority for the USDA and the Forest Service,” the USDA said, per AP. Trees offer various benefits, including cleaning the air in polluted areas, capturing stormwater and replenishing groundwater, and providing shade...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. One of the main goals of the Trump administration has been to remove Washington’s “elites” from office. Now that billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency agency have instituted mass layoffs, some supporters have buyer’s remorse. With midterm elections coming up, it’s possible that DOGE cuts could hurt the GOP and Trump administration as long as they continue. In town halls across the country, from Georgia to Idaho to Missouri, Republican lawmakers are facing backlash from their constituents for aligning with Musk’s influence in government and continuing to spew Donald Trump’s lies. They’ve assured constituents that rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, along with implementing mass deportations, are effective policies that serve the American people. But it’s clear from the round of boos seen in videos on social media that their voters aren’t buying it....
Beatrice Dixon does not want to police how shoppers spend their dollars, but she acknowledges the risks of neglecting business owners on shelves. Dixon is the co-founder, CEO, and chief innovation officer of The Honey Pot Company, which is a plant-based feminine-care company that sells washes, wipes, and pads. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, she experienced chronic vaginal issues, which prompted her to create a vulva-safe formula that she grew into a business in 2014 with the support of a $21,000 loan. The company scaled to more than 33,000 stores across the nation, including retailers like Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. In January 2024, the company was acquired by Compass Diversified in a deal valued at $380 million. Dixon maintains a significant minority stake in the business. Part of The Honey Pot Company’s success can be attributed to its strong presence in retail stores. However, there is a shift among consumers to be more strategic about where they spend their dollars...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been wreaking havoc on the American people, from their quest to gain access to sensitive information within the government to assisting President Donald Trump with his plan to lay off federal employees and dismantle government agencies like the Department of Education . Federal jobs were once a symbol of stable employment, but with mass layoffs and confusion surrounding what jobs still exist, that sentiment may not exist anymore. So far this year, about 200,000 federal workers have had their roles eliminated and 75,000 federal employees have been laid off, with more to come as DOGE continues to comb through federal agencies. Agencies have done hiring freezes, offered buyouts, and mass-fired workers. Some workers doubt that they will even receive the settlement that the administration is offering. Many of these attempts to cut down...
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive orders eliminating DEI. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, soon after Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, he signed executive orders to halt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the federal level. This led to federal employees in DEI roles being placed on paid leave, a mandate banning DEI considerations in federal contracting, and more recently, a two-week deadline from the Department of Education requesting that schools and universities end their DEI policies. A memo stated, “…educational institutions may neither separate nor segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race,” per AP News. Changes in the DEI landscape have also impacted funding for minority businesses, with legal action being taken against those directing support to these businesses. This includes the venture capital firm Fearless Fund and fintech platform Hello Alice. Hello Alice was victorious in a...
Kiyan Anthony does not see more than half of his NIL earnings for good reason. According to Sports Illustrated, the basketball player, son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony , is ranked among the top prospects in the 2025 class. He is currently a four-star recruit and the highest-ranked high school player in New York, playing for Long Island Lutheran High School in Glen Head, NY. As he prepared for the collegiate level, he gained interest from the University of Southern California, Auburn University, and Florida State University. Ultimately, he committed to Syracuse University in New York. “Just looking at Syracuse and seeing, like, what could be done over there if I was to go over there,” Kiyan shared in a statement on the school’s website. “They already have top people coming in, who I’m close with. Young coaching staff that I can connect to. Close to home, 45-minute flight. They would have me catching 6-hour flights to California. Just all of that, and then the ACC (Atlantic...