EthnicMajority

(Business Insider) Teen clothing brand Wet Seal has reached a $7.5 million settlement over allegations that it horrendously discriminated against employees of color, because they didn't have the "white," "blue eye," "thin and blond" look the brand wanted, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Three former managers filed the lawsuit last year, accusing the nationwide retail chain of actively firing and denying raises and promotions to black workers. One plaintiff, former manager Kai Hawkins, said that her boss threatened to fire her unless she hired more white employees. Another, Nicole Codgell, claimed that she was fired the day after the company's senior vice president for store operations toured several outlets and sent an email to lower managers, "African American dominate — huge issue." 

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(Huffington Post) Offensive posts and comments are rampant on the internet, but they don't make for particularly good business when associated with a restaurant. A Delaware eatery is learning this after derogatory comments and inappropriate photos popped up on its social media accounts earlier this month.

The News Journal reports that someone recently posted racial slurs and photos of receipts with low tips on Facebook and Instagram accounts associated with Padi Restaurant in Hockessin. The accounts have since been removed, but Daily Mail posted screen captures of the offensive posts.

Among the photos in question is an image of a paid bill of $53.80 with a tip of $5.20, which is less than 10 percent, from a customer with an Indian surname. It wasaccompanied by the caption, "What do you expect from a last name like that? Sand ni****s will never change #cheap #jew." Another reads, "Cheap a**, order takeout and eat it at the bar. #notip #monday #cheap #trash." Other posts, on both Facebook and Instagram, took shots at additional customers deemed to have tipped unsatisfactorily. Many were accompanied by hashtags including #deuchbag and #hillbillies.

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(Marketing Charts) A comprehensive study of multiculturalism in America by Geoscape determines that Asian and Hispanic households will outspend non-Hispanic White households in their lifetimes. The study (executive summary download page here) pegs consumer spending for the remaining lifetime of an average Asian household at roughly $2.4 million, compared to slightly less than $2 million for Hispanics, about $1.6 million for Whites, and $1.3 million for Blacks.

The estimates are largely a result of remaining lifespan being greater for Hispanics (45.7 years) and Asians (41.2 years) than for Blacks (34.2) and Whites (31.1). That’s because while life expectancies range between 80 and 83 years for Hispanics, Asians, and Whites (76.3 for blacks), the median adult age of a Hispanic American (37) is far younger than that of an Asian American (41.1), Black American (42.1) and White American (49.1).

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(UPI) – The owner of a Philadelphia restaurant known as Chink's Steaks since 1949 has officially changed the name to Joe's Steaks.

Joe Groh, 50, who went to work at Chink's when he was 16 and took ownership of the business in 1999, said the first indication that the name would have to be changed came in 2003, when he received a complaint from an Asian American student, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday.

The eatery had been named for its founder, Samuel "Chink" Sherman, who was given the nickname in grade school as a result of his almond shaped eyes.

However, Groh said it was time for the name of the restaurant to change with the times.

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(Benzinga.com) It didn't take very long for Benzinga to identify dozens of the top African-American heads of big-name American firms, despite an overall lack of representation in the higher levels of business.

The black CEOs on our list come from all corners of the country and lead public and private companies across all sectors of the economy.

1. Jan Adams, JMA Solutions
Adams founded JMA in 2005 following 24 years of service in the United States Air Force. Her vision has fueled JMA's growth into the #125 ranking in the 2012 Inc. Magazine 5000, including the #1 ranking in Washington, D.C. The company provides financial management, IT services, systems and concept engineering and program management to the federal government.

2. Joseph B. Anderson, TAG Holdings, LLC
A former General Motors (NYSE: GM [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) executive, Anderson is the CEO of the Troy, Michigan-based TAG Holdings, whose subsidiaries include Korean and Chinese plumbing ceramics makers, automobile wheel-assembly suppliers and warehouse services. 2010 revenues were over $700 million.

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(Forbes) The 2012 presidential election showed the nation how important the multicultural marketplace is. President Obama leveraged the nation’s changing Hispanic and African American voting power — and their technological know-how and digital savviness — to produce an electoral landslide that surprised everyone.

If we, as business owners, refresh our thinking and approach to the multicultural consumer, we too can also follow the President’s lead in the new year.

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(National Journal) The data from this Silicon Valley jobs report shows that Silicon Valley's so-called meritocracy happens to benefit white and Asian people, while the black and Latino community suffers. The annual Silicon Valley Index had a lot of good news for the vitality of the South Bay's economy, with per capita income increasing 2.2 percent total and the tech hub adding 42,000 jobs last year. But those gains were not seen evenly across the community: whites and Asians saw per capita income increase while incomes actually fell for African American — and faster in Silicon Valley than in other parts of California or the rest of the country. Look at that huge 18 percent drop in per capita income for African Americans in Silicon Valley. It's three times the decline for the state of California and more than four times the decline seen in the U.S. The numbers for Silicon Valley, in fact, represent a growing gap: Income for the black and Latino community has declined, as the rest of Silicon Valley has gotten richer. As the president of  president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, which compiled the report, puts it: "Silicon Valley is two valleys," Russell Hancock told the Mercury News. "There is a valley of haves, and a valley of have-nots. This place that some call "post-race" happens to reward white and Asian workers more than other races. 

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(Mashable) Recent studies show that only approximately 1% of tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are black. Many people blame the U.S. education system and its inadequate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula. Others find fault with a deficiency of basic information to help students enter these fields.

The 1% figure, however, doesn't mean there aren't black entrepreneurs and pioneers who have made noteworthy breakthroughs in the tech world.

SEE ALSO: Startup Accelerator Supports Minorities and Women in Tech

Below, we've listed 20 notable black leaders and innovators in STEM fields. Some are well-known, some should be better known, and others might still be considered up-and-coming in their industries. Nevertheless, they have all contributed to the STEM fields in novel ways.

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list by any means — there are many other notable (and often unsung) black innovators in tech. After reading, feel free to add to the list in the comments.

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(MSN) This year's Super Bowl has revealed its first advertising controversy: a commercial from Volkswagen (VLKAY) that's coming under fire as racist.

The commercial features a white Minnesotan who suddenly starts speaking in a Jamaican accent, urging his dour co-workers to "Turn the frown the other way around." (To see the ad, click here.) The punch line? His happiness stems from his ride: a VW Beetle.

Some are finding the ad offensive, with New York Times columnist Charles Blow telling CNN, "It's like blackface with voices." Another CNN commentator said the spot reminded him of Jar Jar Binks, the maligned "Star Wars" character who was criticized as reflecting some racial stereotypes. 

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(LA Weekly) Dennis "D.Anthony" Robertson has moved back and forth between the business and music worlds for years now.

An aspiring drummer, he first began promoting acts at B.B. King's at Universal Studios, working his way into management and eventually ownership of the club. When that venture ended a few years ago, Robertson began planning what he hoped would become Los Angeles' premier venue for jazz. H.O.M.E. (House Of Music & Entertainment) opened in November, and since then Robertson has been quickly learning the ins and outs of running a full-time jazz supper club on a nightly basis.

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