Increasing the Hispanic STEM Workforce
From mid-September to mid-October, the U.S. celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. This annual observation initially began as a commemorative week in 1968 and was extended to a full month by President Ronald Reagan 20 years later. The holiday starts on September 15 to signify the anniversary of formal independence for multiple Latin American countries, including […]
Oxford’s Next Level: Creating a Black English Dictionary
A new research project detailing the words and phrases collectively known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE), including spelling, definitions and a historical repository that spotlights the people who created the language, will be produced by Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research and the Oxford English Dictionary and published by Oxford […]
Plastic in the Oceans Affects Everyone – Let’s Clean It Up
Plastic pollution has created massive rafts of floating debris in the oceans, much of which washes ashore and into vulnerable coastal environments each year — but concerned individuals are fighting back to save these fragile areas. On Sept. 17, thousands of volunteers will contribute to the 2022 International Coastal Cleanup, a concerted global effort to […]
Building Back Birmingham’s Economy with Prosper
The last two years have been difficult for everyone and many U.S. cities faced an economic collapse of unprecedented scale in 2020. While some elected officials implemented new measures to revive their economy, others are still struggling to rebuild.A 2021 Brookings Institution report found that the city of Birmingham, Alabama, is behind almost all large […]
Why Are There Stark Wealth Disparities in a City Known for Money?
Charlotte, North Carolina – the largest and most racially diverse city in the state – is considered by many as the financial capital of the South because of its many banking institutions. Charlotte is home to the second-largest financial district in the United States, smaller than only New York City; banks in the ‘Queen City’ […]
The Growing Support for Minority Business Enterprises Across Houston
The Greater Houston Partnership, the Southern Communities Initiative’s lead community organization for Houston, Texas, is an economic development engine that serves as the “largest chamber of commerce in the Houston region.” The organization aims to promote the economic growth of the Greater Houston area – which spans 12 counties – through championing efforts that attract […]
How Local Organizations Deliver Lasting Impact to the Black Community
Despite the economic, cultural and social benefits that Black-owned businesses contribute to the communities they serve, stark disparities and barriers to entry remain a significant hindrance to their development. In 2019, only 2.3% of the nation’s nearly 6 million employer firms were Black-owned, according to the Federal Reserve – despite Black Americans making up roughly […]
How the Urban League of Louisiana Helps Black Businesses Thrive
Around the country, a growing effort to help Black-led businesses thrive has gained critical momentum and is delivering more capital and better-trained employees. These are moves that will help to put the entrepreneurs behind those businesses on the path to success. One group helping to build this wave of support, is the Urban League of […]
Representation in STEM Fields Has Stalled
Despite a growing understanding of the importance of increasing representation of women and people of color in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions, large gaps of access still exist. According to a recent 3M State of Science Index survey, 69% said underrepresented minorities don’t have equal opportunities to STEM education and careers. They point […]