Charles Barkley is fulfilling his commitment to a school that has ties to a historic math discovery. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson, who attended St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans, LA, at the time, found an alternative way to solve the Pythagorean Theorem during their senior year. Without using circular reasoning, they were still able to use trigonometry, which had puzzled mathematicians for over 2,000 years. “Calcea and Ne’Kiya explained it to me like this: Basically, trigonometry is based on Pythagoras’ Theorem (A^2 + B^2 = C^2, sound familiar?), so using trigonometry to prove Pythagoras’ Theorem is what’s known as circular logic,” mentioned WWL-TV 4 reporter Sam Winstrom. The young prodigies had come to this conclusion following a math contest held at their school, which was attached to a $500 incentive. “There was a bonus question that was to create a new proof of the Pythagorean Theorem,” Johnson told PEOPLE. “Ne’Kiya and I were the only...

Gunna continues to pour into the Georgia community. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, rapper Gunna, born Sergio Giavanni Kitchens in College Park, GA, has proven to have an affinity for the state by engaging in philanthropic efforts such as launching a free grocery store for his former middle school (McNair Middle School) with the support of Goodr Founder Jasmine Crowe in 2021. He also provided Gunna’s Drip Closet, an in-school clothing store that makes all items available free of charge. Improving the standard of living for those in Georgia is still a priority for the rapper. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, he has partnered with Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) to launch the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program. It will benefit the lives of 30 families per month residing in the 30349 zip code of South Fulton, GA, by allocating $1,000 monthly stipends for a year that will be supported through a $500,000 commitment. Beyond financial assistance,...

After dedicating years to researching Black women’s health, Dr. Leeja Carter has developed a device to assist them. As a professor and a scholar, C arter had a desire to do more work within the community beyond the standard work on publications and presentations. Even in her academic role at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, she said she felt like a spectator to the issues that were important to her. That all changed in 2020. “My research and work were really social determinants of physical activity and its impact on Black women’s health,” Carter told AFROTECH™. “And being in academia for 15 years as a Black woman researching Black women’s health, while I definitely had spaces of comfort, care, and support, I would say there were greater experiences where I still definitely felt like an outsider and felt that it was still an uphill battle to gain support to do the work that was so close to my heart.” She added, “When you’re in an academic space, what is currency is...

The Smart Tech Health Hub will be making its way to Miami, FL. According to a news release provided to AFROTECH™, $4 million has been awarded to the S.E.E.K. (Seeking Education Empowers Knowledge) Foundation Inc., a nonprofit launched by Anike Sakariyawo, in order to make that possible. The foundation, which focuses on STEM education, community involvement, and health and wellness for children ages 3 to 18 plans to open the four-story building in Opa-Locka, a suburb of Miami. This will facilitate access for residents, children, and their families to STEAM education, workforce re-entry programs, and broadband service, dismantling existing entry obstacles. The hub will also provided basic essential health services. Its presence is being described as “the first of its kind in the city” as there has not been a technical facility in the area nor a high school. “The partnership with the Miami Foundation’s Digital Equity Collective program has been pivotal in advancing this initiative,”...

Charles Barkley is inspired by students Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson who made history with their mathematics discovery. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Johnson and Jackson attended St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic school located in New Orleans, LA, and are responsible for finding a new way to solve the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry without circular logic, which had been a mystery for many mathematicians for 2,000 years. WWL-TV 4 reporter Sam Winstrom spoke to the pair in March 2023 about their accomplishment. Per his report, “Calcea and Ne’Kiya explained it to me like this: Basically, trigonometry is based on Pythagoras’ Theorem (A^2 + B^2 = C^2, sound familiar?), so using trigonometry to prove Pythagoras’ Theorem is what’s known as circular logic.” Johnson, who is now a freshman at Louisiana State University, spoke to the university ahead of an interview she and Jackson had with “60 Minutes” on May 5, 2024. Johnson revealed to LSU that their discovery was...

A program working to “break the cycle of homelessness for good” in the Bay Area of California has launched, and Google is backing its mission. Google.org, the charitable arm of Google, is a funding partner for It All Adds Up (Bay Area Thriving Families Study), a pilot program that is providing 450 families in the Bay Area who have faced homelessness with guaranteed basic income for a year. Each family is given a randomized amount of either $1,000 a month for 12 months or $50 a month for 12 months, according to the program’s website. Its fellow funding partner is J-PAL North America, a regional office of the global research center Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab housed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Bay Area families that receive services from Compass Family Services or Hamilton Families and are part of their rental subsidy/rapid re-housing programs qualify for the recurring cash payments as long as they are in the final three months of their housing subsidy....

Power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson are flexing their entrepreneurial skills yet again with a new business venture that’s merging fashion and philanthropy together. Today, the Grammy-winning singer and star NFL quarterback announced their latest business project called The House of LR&C, a retail concept that focuses on merging the couple’s philanthropic commitments with their interest in the fashion world, VOGUE reports. The fashion house is meant to be home to several brands in the near future including Wilson’s existing men’s apparel line, Good Man Brand, but is reportedly starting with sustainable streetwear line, Human Nation. According to VOGUE, the brand ties in a give back component with the Wilsons’ Why Not You Foundation to engage its consumers, which is expected to be a common thread among its future brand partners. Through this newly-launched enterprise, the Wilsons aim to democratize the fashion industry for young people while also inspiring them to get involved in...