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Twitter and Tumblr’s social impact in topics ranging from Ferguson, Missouri, to immigration reform has revolutionized and revitalized social activism in the United States.
New App: Twitter Small Business Planner.
Apple iCloud was shown not to be a very safe way to store photos and other personal items. Celebrity nude photos that were leaked earlier this year may lead to changes that can help to improve the security of the product.
Coltan is columbite-tantalite, a metallic ore that contains elements used in mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and iPods.
The Congo has 24 trillion dollars worth of raw mineral deposits. The nation holds 30% of the world’s Diamond reserves and 80% of the world’s Coltan, according to the UN.
‘Black Space: Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film’
“Black Space: Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film” by Adilifu Nama (2008) is the first book-length study of African-American representation in science fiction films. “Black Space” demonstrates that science fiction cinema has become an important field of racial analysis, a site where definitions of race can be contested and post-civil rights race relations (re)imagined.
‘The Conjure Woman’
“The Conjure Woman” is a collection of short stories, written by Charles W. Chesnutt in 1899, that deal with major themes through the lens of an African-American man living in the antebellum South. The prose is a bit dated, and very 19th century, but it establishes the genre very well. Chesnutt’s work is one of the first collections to be truly considered Black speculative fiction/sci-fi/fantasy. Also, “The Conjure Woman” collection is 100 percent free on Project Gutenberg.
‘Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation’
“Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation” edited by Sheena C. Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II (2013) is an analytic history of the diverse contributions of Black artists to the medium of comics. Covering comic books, superhero comics, graphic novels and cartoon strips from the early 20th century to the present, the book explores the ways in which Black comic artists have grappled with such themes as the Black experience, gender identity, politics and social media.
As technology and innovation grow throughout the world, Black innovators are playing a big role in the market. Here are 20 mobile apps created by Black developers, according to AfricanAmerican.org and IT News Africa.
Zimbile
Although not strictly an app, Zimbile helps small businesses enter the online world in a flash. The website allows businesses and individuals across Africa to build fast-loading, mobile-optimized websites in app form in a few easy steps.
The company prides itself on helping you build a mobile website in minutes, even if you have no technical knowledge.
HBCU Buddy
Founders Jonecia Keels and Jazmine Miller’s app HBCU Buddy provides prospective and current students with information about historically Black colleges and universities on aspects of student life, admissions, alumni, standardized test scores and faculty research. The app also has virtual campus tours and integrates social networking with Twitter and Facebook. The app won the 2010 AT&T Mobile Campus Challenge with a $10,000 prize.
Myavana
Founders Techturized Inc. and co-founders Candace Mitchell, Jessica Watson, Chanel Martin and Joy Boulamwini created Myavana, a hair app for African-American women that encourages users to form communities based on hair textures and desired hairstyles. Women can upload hairstyles, share beauty tips about styling products, techniques and salons. Also, users can follow desired hairstyles by “Girlfriending” other users who post images with that style. Each time a Girlfriend request is accepted, the community can follow that user’s hair journey and learn her hair secrets.
HopStop
HopStop founder Chinedu Echeruo created the app to give those who live in metropolitan areas simple and easy directions on how to navigate by using public transit, walking, taking a cab or biking. Echeruo, a Nigerian former Wall Street analyst, was fortunate enough to have his app included in Time magazine on its list of 50 Best iPhone Apps of 2011.
Tombstone
Tombstone is an albino man who serves as a hitman and enforcer in the Marvel universe. He has mainly been a Spider-Man villain.
Black Spider-Woman
She is a Wolverine villain in an alternate reality.
Lady Marabunta
She is a Batwing villain who controls a crime syndicate in South Africa.
Black Manta
One of Aquaman’s greatest rivals, Black Manta, fights the King of Atlantis because Aquaman killed Black Manta’s father by accident for attacking Aquaman’s father.
Neil deGrasse Tyson has brought Black scientists of all fields to the forefront. Many young people interested in science can learn from his example and he should get credit for that. However, there are many people working and researching that are not in the spotlight. Here are just a few:
Dr. Beth A. Brown
She holds a B.S. degree in Astrophysics obtained in 1991 from Howard University, a M.S. in Astronomy obtained in 1994 from the University of Michigan. She obtained her Ph. D. in Astronomy in 1998 from the University of Michigan as well.
Most of her work is currently in the area of the hot interstellar medium in elliptical galaxies, and the mechanisms for X-ray emission from faint elliptical galaxies. Other interests include galaxy observations in multi-wavelengths.
She was an astrophysicist working for the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and Astrophysics Data Facility of NSSDC. Sadly, she died in 2008.
Dr. Jarita C. Holbrook
She received her B.S. in Physics in 1987 at the California Institute of Technology and her M.S. in Astronomy in 1992 from San Diego State University.
She obtained her Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 1997 from University of California, Santa Cruz.
She has been an Assistant Research Scientist at The Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology at The University of Arizona. Now she works in South Africa.
Courtesy of Darrell, Blerdsonline.com
Sakura Haruno
Here’s a spoiler, I didn’t include Naruto or Sasuke in this list, but I included Sakura. That’s crazy right? Wrong. Sakura may seem like she doesn’t have any character development because she’s madly in love with Sasuke throughout the series. She may not be as strong as Hinata, but I still put her in the list. Kakashi told her she’ll never be as strong as Naruto or Sasuke so she compensates in other ways. She’s the best medic in the series now. She healed the whole army. Nobody else could do that. Give that woman her respect or get a headbutt of doom. In the first half of the series, she was reluctant to fight at times. In the second half of the series, she basically says “I don’t know who this Sasori guy is, but we’re gonna go in here and kill him. Don’t look at me crazy, Naruto, I said we’re killing him.” She’s secretly a cold-blooded killer like Sasuke. That’s why they go well together.
Zabuza Momochi
I know what you’re saying. “He was the first real villain, he’s weak.” No, he’s not. Did you see him in the war putting in work? You’re forgetting that during his appearance he was trying to protect Haku, complete his mission, got screwed over and fought Kakashi. Odds were stacked against him. He’s also one of the legendary swordsmen, and you don’t get that by being subpar. Zabuza also showed that the villains weren’t going to be heartless monsters. At the end of the day, Zabuza was just doing his mission and trying to protect Haku. Don’t give me that lovers crap either, Zabuza took in Haku as a son. After killing everyone in his class, Haku was the first person he cared about and felt that saving him would be redemption. That explains why he temporarily lost his will to fight after Haku died. Even so, Zabuza took out a ton of people with him
Economist
Economists study and analyze the effects of resources such as land, labor and raw materials on costs and their relation to industry and government. Notable economist Robert Shiller recently won the Nobel Prize in Economics and predicted the housing bubble of 2006 in which housing prices peaked and then sharply declined in 2007, reaching new lows in 2012.
As reported by Business Insider, an economist’s median annual salary is approximately $91,000, providing a good job environment and low work stress.
Stockbroker
The life of a stockbroker has been publicized in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), depicting a lavish lifestyle in New York. Stockbrokers facilitate the purchase and sale of stocks, bonds and other securities for individual and institutional clients, as reported by Business Insider.
The annual media salary for a stockbroker is $72,484, with a great work environment but a significant amount of stress.
Tax Examiner and Collectors
Although tax “season” does not last all year for taxpayers, tax examiners remain in full force, gearing up and winding down in preparation for the next cycle. Tax examiners determine tax liability and collect taxes from individuals or businesses, as reported by Business Insider. They review tax returns, conduct audits, identify taxes owed and collect overdue tax payments, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. With low stress, a reliable work environment and a median salary of $50,210, tax examiner is a job to consider!
Insurance Underwriter
Insurance underwriters assess and analyze the risks inherent in insuring potential policyholders before making recommendations to the insurance companies that employ them, according to Business Insider. The annual income is $61,182, and the job comes with low stress and a quality work environment.
In the world of video games, the main characters tend to be white men with five o’clock shadows. As times have progressed, the video game landscape has become more diverse. Here are some of the best butt-kicking characters who happen to be Black:
Sazh Katzroy – Final Fantasy 13
Katzroy is a loving father and airship pilot in this franchise.
Rochelle – Left 4 Dead 2
Before the apocalypse, she was a low-level associate producer at a news station waiting for her big break. She thought that the flu outbreak would give her that break, but she ended up fighting for her life.
Venturing into outer space is a rarity that requires hard work, dedication and sacrifice. These 15 Black men and women include scientists, doctors, chemists and military leaders who have truly paved the way for Blacks to explore and exceed their wildest imagination. Here are the Black astronauts who raised the standard, according to NASA and The Root.
Maj. Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. (U.S. Air Force, Deceased)
Born Oct. 2, 1935, the Chicago native was a top-performing student at Englewood High School and Bradley University. Lawrence was selected by the Air Force for astronaut training in July 1967. On Dec. 8, 1967, he died in a crash of an F-104 fighter jet while instructing a student pilot at the controls. Lawrence, who held a Ph.D. in chemistry from Ohio State University, never got to fulfill his dream, but he left behind a legacy for others who made the journey into space, according to The Root.
Col. Guion S. Bluford Jr. (U.S. Air Force, Retired)
Born in Philadelphia on Nov. 22, 1942, Bluford was the first African-American astronaut to blast off aboard Challenger in 1983. According to NASA, Bluford, who has a degree in aerospace engineering from Penn State, was an accomplished fighter pilot who flew 144 missions in Vietnam before entering NASA’s rigorous Astronaut Training Program. Bluford logged four shuttle missions.
Bernard A. Harris Jr., M.D.
Harris was born June 26, 1956, in Temple, Texas. Graduating from Sam Houston High School in San Antonio in 1974, Harris holds a degree in biology from the University of Houston and a medical degree from Texas Tech. Harris was selected by NASA in January 1990 and flew his first shuttle mission aboard Columbia in 1993. He became the first African-American to walk in space during a joint mission with the Russians in 1995, according to The Root. Harris is a veteran of two space flights, with more than 438 hours in space on STS-55 and STS-63, according to NASA.