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Entrepreneur and multidisciplinary artist Temi Coker — whose clients have included Google , Netflix, and Adobe, according to his website — is using culturally resonant art and sustainable, innovative methods to redefine how art, heritage, and home design intersect. Known for creating designs that celebrate both his Nigerian roots and African American identity, Coker has transformed his artistic vision into the 18-piece Temi Coker Home Collection, available exclusively at Walmart. Centered on his family — his wife and two children — the collection embraces emerging technologies at a time when many view them as a threat, while emphasizing duality and honoring the multiple facets of Coker’s identity. Each piece creates space for others to see themselves reflected in the work. “Being able to bring in technology as a tool to solve a problem, I think that’s what it should be used for,” Coker told AFROTECH™. As a business owner and product founder, he sees technology not as a replacement...
Braiding hair and extensions commonly used by Black women may contain harmful chemicals also found in pipes, pesticides, flame retardants, and plastic stabilizers. Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute tested 43 synthetic and human hair products purchased online and from beauty supply stores, identifying 169 chemicals in total. Their findings, published in the journal Environment & Health on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, showed that 41 of the 43 products contained hazardous chemicals. Lead study author Elissia Franklin said only two “safe” brands — Spetra and Latched & Hooked — had “non-toxic” or “toxic-free” labels, NBC News reports. Among the chemicals found was benzyl chloride, a possible carcinogen used to make sanitizers and plastics. Seventeen chemicals have links to breast cancer, including dibutyl phthalate and DEHP, which make plastics more flexible, notes the outlet. Four samples of unspecified synthetic hair also contained 23 organotin compounds, which researchers tied...
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) continues to call for action as the latest U.S. jobs report shows that Black unemployment rates are alarmingly high. At a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, Pressley addressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent directly, saying that “hundreds of thousands” of Black workers have been pushed out of the workforce and that unemployment rates are “through the roof.” She pointed out that they are among the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a video she posted on TikTok. “Black workers contribute over a trillion dollars to the U.S. economy, but the push out of these workers from the workforce has led to a loss of $37 billion in the GDP,” Pressley said during the hearing. @reppressley Black unemployment rates are through the roof. The pushout of Black workers has led to a loss of $37B in the GDP. Sec. Bessent: analyze this, report the findings, & take action NOW. This harm is coming for everyone if you...
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, students at Florida A&M University ( FAMU ) have run into difficulties while promoting events for Black History Month, saying the university’s approval process flags certain words, including the word “Black.” Aaliyah Steward, a final-year law student, brought the issue to News 6, which reported the story on Feb. 6, 2026. Steward told News 6 that her organization, the Black Law Students Association, had to abbreviate the language used on Black History Month flyers, noting that they also couldn’t use the words “women” or “affirmative action.” News 6’s report garnered widespread public attention and social media reaction, including from prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Grammy Award-winning artist SZA, notes the outlet. On Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, FAMU responded, citing a “staff-level error” that caused the issue. News 9 reported that internal university emails suggested that the words weren’t prohibited, but that the issue stemmed from an...
February is Black History Month , but students at Florida A&M University (FAMU) say promoting events has been challenging because the university’s approval process flags certain words. Aaliyah Steward, a student finishing up her final year at FAMU’s College of Law, says she has faced obstacles while trying to publicize the month’s events for the Black Law Students Association, WKMG News 6 reports . Steward claims that a review of event flyers flagged terms such as “black,” “affirmative action,” and “women,” preventing their broadcast or publication. “We couldn’t use the word ‘black’ in Black History Month. We would have to abbreviate it,” Steward said, per News 6. “I was very angry and baffled because this is a Historically Black College and University ( HBCU ), and for them to say we can’t use the word ‘black’ was kind of insane.” Why FAMU Is Restricting The Word ‘Black’ According to the outlet, Florida’s State Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s 12 public universities —...
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.”