April 5, 2021
To help you navigate these uncertain times, we’ve compiled timely news and resources related to small business, education and connectivity. We hope this provides both information and comfort as we continue to weather these challenges.
T.D. Jakes Foundation in Action
Chairman T.D. Jakes shares the inspiration behind his new book, “Don’t Drop the Mic!” in which he shows readers how successful communication is key for building community, commanding power, and so much more. Watch here.
The T.D. Jakes Foundation was founded to expose underrepresented communities to science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) because “you can’t be what you don’t see.” In honor of women’s history month, TDJF president and CEO Hattie Hill gave girls and women of all ages an opportunity to see and hear from strong female role models in arts and technology, convening a thought-provoking Zoom roundtable dubbed: “Women in STEAM: A Conversation at the Intersection of Art & Science, Onscreen and Off.”
The hour-long discussion featured three highly accomplished women:
- Lisa Edelstein, actress, director, writer and producer best known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the hit series “House.”
- Marisa Polvino, co-founder of Straight Up Impact, a woman-owned, fully integrated media company that finances, develops and produces thought-provoking stories that inspire audiences to enact positive change.
- Lisa Gelobter, co-founder and CEO of tEQuitable, which uses technology to create more equitable workplaces. Previously, she was Chief Digital Officer at BET Networks and Chief Digital Service Officer for the Department of Education in the Obama administration.
The T.D. Jakes Foundation is honored to host a breakout session featuring Hattie Hill, Cynt Marshall, Leona Ford Allen, Marie Forleo, and Sonya Robinson at the first International Leadership Summit (ILS) Virtual Experience, April 29-May 1, 2021. Presented by T.D. Jakes, ILS is an intensive training experience that equips you and your team with in-depth strategies and direction to execute your vision with precision and clarity. Invest in your teams, mentees, friends, or family members when you bring your plus-9 with you to the top as an ILS registrant — at no additional cost! Leaders, your elevation awaits. Register now.
The T.D. Jakes Foundation is proud to celebrate women leaders with Texas Women’s Foundation at the 42nd Annual Leadership Forum & Awards Celebration presented by AT&T. T.D. Jakes Foundation President & CEO Hattie Hill will be co-chairing with Jana Etheridge, Chief Customer Officer & Chief of Staff Financial Services at Capital One Financial Services. Join us in this celebration on April 29 at 10 AM. Tickets are only $42! Reserve your spot now!
STEAM Update
Latino and Black workers remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce compared with their share of all workers. A Pew Research Center report published Thursday found that the gap in STEM workforce representation is especially large for Hispanic adults. While Latinos make up 17 percent of total employment across all occupations, they represent only 8 percent of all STEM workers. Their share of all STEM workers is up 1 percent since 2016, in line with their growth in the overall workforce. Read the breakdown of the Pew Research Center report via NBC News.
Over the weekend, NASA successfully deployed the Ingenuity helicopter onto the surface of Mars — just days away from its historic takeoff. While scientists have operated plenty of rovers on Mars over the years, Ingenuity will be its first attempt at flight. The first of up to five test flights could come as early as Thursday, depending on winds and weather. Read the full story in CBS News.
Education
On April 12, Dallas ISD is inviting the community to its Cultural Intelligence Town Hall. The town hall meeting is the third in a series of webinars aimed at engaging the community in creating an anti-racist school environment free from bias and racism and grounded in equity. Pre-registration is required to receive a link to join the conversation, which will be held virtually in English and Spanish at 5 p.m., Monday, April 12. The link to register is available here.
Using Infrastructure to Address Inequalities
President Biden seeks to use a new infrastructure plan to address racial inequities. The president’s $2 trillion proposal allocates money to help communities of color such as a New Orleans neighborhood devastated by a highway project a half-century ago. As part of the plan, the federal government would provide $20 billion to “reconnect” communities of color—like the Black residents still living in the interstate’s shadow along Claiborne—to economic opportunity. Read more on the plan via The New York Times.
Georgia Voting Rights
Major League Baseball commissioner Robert Manfred announced that the 2021 All-Star Game will be moved from Atlanta to Denver. The decision follows Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s signing of an election bill that opponents say disproportionately marginalizes people of color. “Just as elections have consequences, so do the actions of those who are elected,” Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on Twitter of MLB’s decision. Bottoms also believes that the removal of the MLB All-Star Game from Georgia is likely the “1st of many dominoes to fall” until we see the removal of unnecessary barriers put in place to restrict access to ballot boxes. Read the full story in CNBC.
Together, we can and will get through this.
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