Breaking News! History in the Making

Trained in Rites of Passage, Now They’re Training Black Male Youth
The Baltimore Rites of Passage Initiative (BROPI) is a multigenerational mentorship program which empowers Black men to embrace positive masculinity. BROPI has trained 16 Black men to become mentors to Black youth. The group will teach mentees about Black history, mental health, anger management, and alternatives to violence, among other things.

Black death row inmates suffer botched executions at twice rate of whites in US
A report by a human rights group revealed that lethal injections are more likely to go wrong with Black prisoners than white ones.

West Memphis Goes Natural With $16M Infrastructure Project
A natural wetland infrastructure project will benefit the human and animal residents of West Memphis, Arkansas.

A lawmaker proposed a bill that would ban DEI in medical schools. Doctors say it could roll back progress toward improving Black maternal health.
Doctors and advocates worry that proposed laws which target DEI initiatives in medical schools might reverse progress made toward erasing racial health inequities, especially Black mothers.

Racial Disparities in Environmental Concerns Highlighted in New Gallup Survey
Black Americans are more likely than other racial or ethnic groups to express concerns about environmental threats.

Farewell, and Thanks, to a Man Who Kept Kids Safe
After a beloved school crossing guard was shot, his community came together to both mourn his loss and celebrate his life of kindness.

Caring for the Ancestors’ Land
Artist and activist Bevelyn Afor Ukah is on a mission to relieve food insecurity in the Black community by teaching gardening skills in combination with ancestral teachings.

Climate change driving demand for predatory loans, research shows
Pew released information about how Americans are targeted by predatory payday loan businesses during hot and cold seasons.

In new congressional district, Black voters weigh what representation really means
Shalela Dowdy, a plaintiff against the state of Alabama in a case about voting districts, knows that maps alone won’t solve the problem.

Black voters were key to Biden’s 2020 win. But money woes make some question their support in 2024
Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump recognize the importance of Black voters in the upcoming presidential election.

Buttigieg visits predominantly Black Alabama community following ABC News investigation about neighborhood flooding
One Black neighborhood in Alabama had a chance to speak to the Secretary of Transportation about a highway that has disrupted lives.

Black Maternal Health Week 2024: U.S. News Recognizes U.S. Hospitals With Excellent Black Patient Outcomes
26 hospitals across the country were recognized for excellent Black patient outcomes as part of Black maternal health week.

Trump Fried Chicken
In an election season, Keith Boykin examines the Black community’s opinions of former president Donald Trump.

6 Mississippi ‘Goon Squad’ officers sentenced to 15 to 45 years on state charges for torture of 2 Black men
Ex-officers from Mississippi who brutally tortured two innocent Black men and called themselves the “Goon Squad” were finally sentenced to at least one decade in federal prison.

How ‘Medical Gaslighting’ Ignores Black Women With Long COVID
Dr. Margot Gage Witvliet, PhD, developed Long COVID in 2020, facing medical gaslighting and discovering shared experiences in dozens of women & BIPOC. Dr. Gage Witvliet learned that medical gaslighting is an insidious phenomenon which disproportionately impacts women and BIPOC. Medical professionals frequently tell female patients with Long COVID and other invisible illnesses that their symptoms are “all in their heads” while treating male counterparts with contrasting, scientifically sound approaches.

Black-owned children’s bookstore in North Carolina is closing over alleged threats
The owner of Liberation Station Bookstore describes how fear due to hate mail mixed with the joy opening her bookstore.

A Detroit-Area Officer Who Punched Jaquwan Smith After an Arrest Pleads Guilty
Detroit-area police officer, Matthew Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation for punching Jaquwan Smith without cause in June 2023. Rodriguez said Smith, the Black 19-year-old, was not resisting arrest nor attempting escape.

The Evolution Of The Black Vote And Projections For The 2024 Election Cycle
The evolution of the Black vote in the United States has seen significant shifts over the decades, shaped by various social, political, and economic factors.

Black, Disabled, and Dealing With the Maze of Health Care
Disabled adults already face more difficulties in finding adequate healthcare. Add being Black to that, though, and the hardships multiply even more.