The Black Google? New Search Engine Targets Black Internet Users

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The Black Google? New Search Engine Targets Black Internet Users

There is a new search engine, but unlike others, this one specifically targets Black internet users, reports the New York Times. Rushmore Drive, introduced last week by Interactive Corp., launched the web site to "give black audience a quick way to find information that other search engines might bury beneath pages of less relevant results," according to the Times. Rushmore Drive analyzed search results for 3,000 of the most popular search terms and put those pages Black users were most likely to be interested in at the top. "It's not just prefixing 'black' into the search query," Johnny Taylor, chief executive officer of Rushmore Drive, told the Times. "It's sound technology." While the site has gained some criticism because  some say it borders on stereotypes, Taylor believes ethnic-specific search sites like Rushmore Drive will become increasingly popular. Find out more on the racial divide in internet use.

3.3 Billion Cell Phone Users Worldwide

Cell phones have changed the way business is conducted in America, now they are having a similar impact in nations across the world. There are now more than 3.3 billion mobile-phone subscriptions across the globe and 80 percent of the world's population lives within a cellular network, according to The New York Times. "For the first time, there are more people living in urban centers than in rural settings. And in the next years, millions more will move to these places," said Jan Chipchase, who for the past year has been working on a project he calls Future Urban, the goal of which is to explore what the cities of tomorrow will be like, reports the Times.

Phoenix Mayor Seeks Immigration Raid Investigation

 Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is asking the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the actions of local county Sheriff Arpaio to determine if the sheriff's "saturation patrols," which include going into neighborhoods highly populated by Latinos, stopping people for routine traffic stops and questioning immigration status, have violated the civil rights of the city's residents, reports The New York Times.  Gordon, on April 4th, sent a letter to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey saying, "Over the past few weeks, Sheriff Arpaio's actions have infringed on the civil rights of our residents. They have put our residents' well-being, and the well-being of law officers at risk," according to the Times. While there has not been a response from the FBI, the Immigration and Customs officials say the sheriff's actions do not violate the formal agreement he has with their office. There have been a series of immigration raids across the United States. Find out how your state fares on immigration reform.

Bobby Clampett Slurs Golfer 'Chinaman'

CBS announcer Bobby Clampett is apologizing after referring to Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong as "the chinaman," reports AOL Sports. Clampett used the epithet while explaining that Laing would not make the cut, according to AOL Sports. There has been no indication that Clampett will be reprimanded for his comments. Last December, Golf channel announcer Kelly Tilghman suggested professional golfer Tiger Woods' opponents should "lynch him in a back alley."

For more information on the exclusionary practices in golf, check out the April 2008 issues of DiversityInc.

Black Texan Named Miss USA

For the second time in a row and the sixth time in pageant history a Black woman was named Miss USA. Crystie Stewart, a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Missouri City, Texas, was named Miss USA, reports The Associated Press . Stewart, who is pursuing a career in international philanthropy, says she wants to use her crown to travel abroad to spread her message of self-improvement to young women around the world. "I want to talk to people about how to set a goal and achieve it," she told The Associated Press after the show. "Because I just achieved my goal."

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