When the Environmental Protection Agency dropped a civil rights investigation last year and subsequently weakened the civil rights complaint process, it dealt a blow to the legacy of the first Black man to lead the agency. This decision underscored the immense challenges the agency’s former head, Michael Regan, faced during his tenure, where the weight […]
Environmental Justice
Posted inAir Pollution, Black Farmers, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Land Pollution, Rural Issues
How Black Communities Are Leading the Fight Against Climate Change
In Oakland’s Lower Bottoms, a once-polluted truck corridor has been transformed into a green oasis — solar panels now shimmer above vibrant community gardens, and kids say they can play outside without the familiar sting of wheezing lungs. It’s a vision of environmental justice led by Black communities, and it’s happening all across the country. […]
Posted inInfrastructure, Unsafe Water
The Sewage Crisis Drowning America’s Poorest Town
Each time it rains, even if it’s just a light rainfall, the streets of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, flood. But that’s not all. Those floodwaters bring in a nightmarish brown tide, a disgusting slurry that engulfs the area, dragging with it the stench of human excrement and decay. With such constant and high floodwaters, people have […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environmental Justice, Health
Climate Change Is Deepening HIV Inequities for Black Americans
As Hurricane Ida’s fierce winds ripped panels off of rooftops across New Orleans in September 2021, health workers and HIV activists braced for the aftermath. With power cut and roads blocked by debris, prescription refills and patients would be lost and forgotten in the storm’s chaotic wake across the South. And with record-breaking hurricanes like […]
Posted inEconomy, Environmental Justice
The Costs of America’s EV Dreams
This week, Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to visit the West African nation of Angola, where he spoke of “our nation’s original sin.” About 25% of all enslaved Africans who arrived in the U.S. came from Angola, which is more than any other African region. But outside of the acknowledgement of America’s past […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice, Land Pollution, Partner Content
Black Women are Leading the Fight Against Polluters in Louisiana — and They’re Winning
Originally Published with WWNO Louisiana’s Republican governor is opening the door wider to industry. But the voices opposed to the expansion of oil, gas and petrochemicals here — and its impact on vulnerable communities — are stronger than ever. A collection of local nonprofits and grassroots organizations leading the charge have something in common: They’re led […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Wealth Gap
The Struggle for Land, Reparations, and Belonging in California
This story was produced in partnership with High Country News. Like many residents of Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains, Jacques Powers wears clothes and boots painted with dirt and mud and gets around in a humming monster truck. But no matter where he goes, whether in these mountains or elsewhere in the state, Powers rarely […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Education, Environmental Justice, LGBTQ, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Health
What Trump’s Second Term Could Look Like for Black Americans
The dread many Black Americans feel about Donald Trump’s triumph in the 2024 presidential election isn’t misplaced: He organized his reelection campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris around revenge — around how he and his allies can inflict the greatest amount of suffering on vulnerable groups and on those he considers enemies. Making things worse, […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Health, Maternal Health
Toxic Air and a Maternal Mortality Crisis in America’s Steel Town
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. Kimmie Gordon sat in her car, watching the sky darken as she waited for her 15-year-old son, Kaleb, to finish football practice. It is one of five sports her teenager plays despite living with chronic asthma. Over an hour stretched on, but […]
Posted inExtreme Weather, Housing
From Hurricanes to Homelessness: Black Renters at Risk as Evictions Soar
A little over two weeks after Hurricane Helene turned living rooms into murky, debris-filled pools, washed away homes, and caused upward of $50 billion in damage, dozens of renters and homeowners stood outside the Buncombe County Courthouse on Oct. 17 in Asheville, North Carolina. With winter approaching and temperatures dipping into the 40s, they gathered […]