Apple, as a corporation, has really stepped up during Black History Month. We all understand that Silicon Valley has diversity a problem. And as any drug or alcohol counselor will tell you, the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging that you have the problem in the first place.
Part of acknowledging the problem, at least among black people, is to celebrate our heritage and help to make a difference in our communities. Again, Apple is stepping up.
One of the ways Apple is celebrating Black History Month is by featuring African-American photographers across America in a series titled, “Hometown.” The photo feature points to the simple premise: black photographers telling the story of their hometown. All shot, of course, on the iPhone 12 Pro. These photos tell the stories of black people in cities across America and reveal the diversity of African-American people.
But showing America who black people are is just the beginning. Apple has launched the the Inaugural Entrepreneurial Camp for Black Founders and Developers.
According to the Apple news release, 2019 saw the first Apple Entrepreneur Camp. “The camp was an immersive tech lab for app-driven companies founded and led by developers from underrepresented backgrounds with a class of women founders and developers. Program participants have gone on to secure major funding rounds, garner numerous awards and accolades, and significantly expand both their teams and app users worldwide.”
Apple designed the program to give minority developers a chance to “take their existing app experience to the next level by mastering new technical skills, applying a critical lens to the user experience, and more through hands-on technology labs, one-on-one code-level guidance from Apple experts and engineers, and mentorship, inspiration, and insights from top Apple leaders.”
Finally Apple is offering customers its special edition Black Unity iWatch.
The watch is in celebration of Black History Month and is pretty much the same as the regular Apple iWatch Series 6 with a few several subtle differences.
The aluminum case, Apple says, is made from 100-percent recycled aerospace-grade alloy, and has a “Black Unity” laser etching on the back. In addition the watch comes with a special unity watch face, whose colors match the band. According to Apple the watch face has a pattern that changes dynamically as the watch moves.
Now you know.
