Artificial Intelligene’s (AI) facial recognition algorithms can help unlock your smartphone apps, but for African Americans who already face bias in the criminal justice system, the fear of being misidentified as a criminal by AI is very real. That bias exists in the field of technology is a fact. Since 2014, multiple reports regarding …
June 1, 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Spanning three days, the Tulsa Race Massacre leveled the booming African American neighborhood of Greenwood near Tulsa, Oklahoma, leaving hundreds dead and thousands of livelihoods ruined. A May 2021 Forbes article, “The Epic Rise Of Black Wall Street And The …
June is National Cancer Survivor Month, honoring those who have fought cancer and those currently impacted by it. As the months get warmer and we head into summer, it’s also important to recognize the most common type — skin cancer. Thousands of people die from skin cancer every year, and as we draw additional attention …
On May 18, 2021, Robert F. Smith was the featured keynote speaker at the virtual Black Men in Leadership Virtual Conference, hosted by The Executive Leadership Council. Thinking back on his own “origin story,” Smith spoke about the challenges and successes that stemmed from his particular upbringing in Colorado, and the leap of faith he …
This month marks the celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month, a date set by President Jimmy Carter on June 7, 1979, to raise awareness and foster appreciation of music that is composed, arranged or performed by African American artists. As President Barack Obama stated in his 2016 proclamation, African American music displays “the creative …
African American Music Appreciation Month Honors the Importance of Black Music Read More »
In April, the REFORM Alliance, a group launched to transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems and culture, launched “Give Life Back,” a campaign to inform and inspire people to become part of the growing movement to reform the parole and probation system in the United States. Growing research, like a 2021 report from …
REFORM Alliance’s “Give Life Back” Campaign Promotes Probation and Parole Reform Read More »
The incoming class of college students at many of the top colleges in the United States is set to be the most diverse in history. According to a recent article in the New York Times, “early data suggests that many elite universities have admitted a higher proportion of traditionally underrepresented students this year — Black, …
Elite U.S. Colleges Will Welcome Their Most Diverse Student Body in History Read More »
Many of us know the famous saying, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration,” which was once uttered by well-known inventor Thomas Edison. However, few understand the hard work, determination and, of course, perspiration that goes into bringing an inspiration to life. That is why, during the month of May, we celebrate these genius …
Honoring Famous Inventors During National Inventors Month 2021 Read More »
Throughout 2021, the National Park Foundation (NPF) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its African American Experience Fund (AAEF). Established in 2001, AAEF’s mission is to connect people to the role that African Americans have played throughout history in our national parks. “Black history is American history,” said National Park Foundation Chief Program Officer LaTresse …
20 Years of Preserving African American History in Our National Parks Read More »
The following commentary by Robert F. Smith was published on the Quartz website in advance of the one-year anniversary of the brutal and public murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. One year ago, the killing of George Floyd precipitated a national movement that advocated for unity, insisted on accountability, and …
