Technology

Apple to Donate Nearly $50 Million to HBCUs to Spur STEM

Published

9 years ago

March 26, 2015

In this Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, file photo, the Apple logo is illuminated in the entrance to the Fifth Avenue Apple store, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper

(NNPA) – Some of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) will soon benefit from a multi-year, multi-million-dollar effort to increase the pipeline of women, minorities, and veterans in the technology industry. Fortune Magazine reports Apple’s gift of nearly $50 million will go to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in benefit to 47 public HBCUs. The funds will provide scholarships to students majoring in computer science, training for students and faculty, and establish a paid internship program for hiring promising HBCU students at Apple.

Apple’s human resources chief Denise Young Smith said the company is partnering with several non-profit organizations to create opportunities for minority candidates to get their first job at Apple. “There is a tremendous upside to [creating opportunities] and we are dogged about the fact that we can’t innovate without being diverse and inclusive,” said Young Smith.

Apple’s funding is one of the largest gifts to any HBCU advocacy organization, and will be support the most comprehensive training partnership ever conceived in benefit to Black colleges. “Historically, other organizations have provided scholarship dollars or focused on whatever area matters most to them,” said Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “People are at Harvard and MIT looking for their students, but Apple said, there are some really talented individuals at these [HBCU] schools.”

Apple’s partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a non-profit that supports students enrolled in public HBCUs, signals direct action in securing talented minority engineers, according to Paul Dorsey, a retired HBCU science instructor. “Black colleges have an abundance of talented and disciplined students who have the capacity to take the world by storm. In many instances though, these students’ careers are impacted by the limited hiring practices of major corporations,” Dorsey said.

Dorsey also pointed to the Ayers desegregation case in Mississippi and a similar battle in Maryland over discriminatory funding practices at land-grant colleges. The Apple money, he suggests, would help science and engineering programs at HBCUs already underfunded by discriminatory state policies. “When the state is not supporting high-demand degree programs through funding, it is important that outside philanthropy step in. Otherwise, the country ends up with the very lack of diversity prevalent in math, science, engineering and technology that we are witnessing now. Apple is trendsetting in its efforts to foster minority development and growth,” Dorsey said.

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Attorney General Rob Bonta, Oakland Lawmakers, Introduce Legislation to Protect Youth Online

At a press conference in downtown Oakland on Jan. 29, Attorney General Rob Bonta joined Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) to announce two pieces of legislation designed to protect children online. The bills are Senate Bill (SB) 976, the Protecting Youth from Social Media Addiction Act and Assembly Bill (AB) 1949, the California Children’s Data Privacy Act.

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) at a press conference introducing legislation to protect young people online.

By Magaly Muñoz

The bills are Senate Bill (SB) 976, the Protecting Youth from Social Media Addiction Act and Assembly Bill (AB) 1949, the California Children’s Data Privacy Act.

Skinner authored SB 976, which addresses online addiction affecting teenage users, while Wicks’s bill, AB 1949, takes on big tech by proposing data privacy and children rights protections.

“Social media companies unfortunately show us time and time again that they are all too willing to ignore the detriment to our children, the pain to our children, the mental health and physical challenges they face, in order to pursue profits,” Bonta said.

SB 976 would allow parents to control the nature and frequency of the content their under-18-year-old children see on social media. Notifications from social media platforms would also be paused from midnight to 6 am and controls would allow parents to set time limits on their children’s usage based on their discretion.

Skinner stated that the longer that kids are on their phones during the day, the higher the risk for depression, anxiety and other related issues.

The bill would also push to get rid of addictive media that is harmful for young women and girls, specifically image filters that mimic cosmetic plastic surgery.

Bonta and 33 other attorney generals had previously filed a lawsuit against Meta, owner of the popular social media applications Instagram and Facebook. The filing claims that the company purposefully uses algorithmized content that harms younger audiences.

“Social media companies have the ability to protect our kids, they could act, but they do not,” Skinner said.

The Child Data Privacy Act would strengthen existing protections for data privacy under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The lawmakers argue that the law does not have effective protection for those under 18 years old.

Wicks stated that the bill would forbid businesses from collecting, using, sharing, or selling personal data of anyone underage unless they receive informed consent, or it becomes necessary for the purpose of the business.

Wicks added that the acts would make it so that a search on the internet like “How do I lose weight?” would not result in dieting pill advertisements targeting youth, which, some experts report, could be harmful to their mental and physical health.

“In a digital age where the vulnerabilities of young users are continually exploited, we cannot afford to let our laws lag behind, our children deserve complete assurance that their online experience will be safeguarded from invasive practices,” Wicks said.

Supporters of the two acts say they have gained bipartisan support issue, but the authors and Bonta expect them to be met with pushback from the affected companies.

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Unleashing the Power_ Discover the The Thrills…F-TYPE Convertible

Published

4 months ago

December 18, 2023

Oakland Post

Performance & Handling
Powered by a robust 5.0 Liter Supercharged 8 Cylinder Gas Engine, the F-Type R75 doesn’t just purr; it roars with a mighty 575 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Coupled with an 8-speed Automatic Transmission, the car offers an exhilarating drive that is both fast and smooth. The All-Wheel Drive system ensures excellent traction and stability, making it a joy to handle in various driving conditions. The Electric Power Assisted Steering and JaguarDrive Control with Selectable Driving Modes add to the car’s agility, providing a driving experience that is as intuitive as it is thrilling. Additionally, the Adaptive Dynamics and Electronic Active Differential with Torque Vectoring by Braking enhance the car’s responsiveness, making every turn a testament to its engineering prowess. Unique to AutoNetwork.com.

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Elevate Your Ride…

Join us for a virtual car’s best-detailed walkaround of the sleek and stylish 2024 Jaguar F-TYPE AWD convertible. Get an up-close look at the exterior design, interior features, and performance capabilities of this luxury sports car. From its powerful engine to its advanced technology, this video will give you a comprehensive overview of what makes […]
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4 months ago

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Join us for a virtual car’s best-detailed walkaround of the sleek and stylish 2024 Jaguar F-TYPE AWD convertible. Get an up-close look at the exterior design, interior features, and performance capabilities of this luxury sports car. From its powerful engine to its advanced technology, this video will give you a comprehensive overview of what makes the F-TYPE AWD convertible stand out on the road. Unique to AutoNetwork.com.