College is a challenging and formative time. Students must navigate heavy coursework, as well as demands outside the classroom — from leadership roles at student organizations to new relationships, and life away from home. For students at historically Black colleges and universities, the experience is particularly poignant, as they are surrounded by many peers and […]
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Louisiana sisters fight to protect their community’s health and enslaved ancestors’ history
Originally published by The 19th We’re telling the untold stories of women, women of color and LGBTQ+ people. Sign up for our daily newsletter. WALLACE, La.— There are only a handful of homes situated on Alexis Court, but there are a whole lot of memories. At one end of the short street, facing the Mississippi […]
Howard Will Lead 9 HBCUs in a Pentagon-funded Research Project. Students are Pushing Back.
The U.S. military is eager to tap into the talent network of the country’s historically Black colleges, which graduate nearly a quarter of all Black STEM professionals. Some students aren’t as excited about the relationship. Howard University is the first HBCU in the country to lead such a project, partnering with the U.S. Air Force […]
Black and Hispanic Communities More Likely to Have Drinking Water with PFAS
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Black and Hispanic communities are disproportionately exposed to “forever chemicals” in their drinking water, according to a first-of-its-kind study from Harvard University that said 18 million Americans are exposed to PFAS levels that exceed limits proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. PFAS or, […]
Amid National Scrutiny of Policing, HBCU Chiefs Work to Remake Relationships With Students
Ace Conyers isn’t the typical South Carolina State University student. His father is the university’s president. But that connection hasn’t always kept Conyers feeling comfortable on campus. He remembers a particularly helpless moment during his freshman year. It was his first night on campus. He was playing music and sitting outside of Earle, a male […]
Parent PLUS Loans Can Debilitate Black Families. Here’s What to Know.
For Black parents looking to help their children pay for an education at a historically Black college or university, Parent PLUS loans have become a common choice. Congress created the loans as a way for middle- and upper-income parents to help their children pay for college. But over time, they’ve become the answer for many […]
Lorraine Hansberry’s Family Says Chicago’s Racist Policies Seized Their Land. Now They’re Seeking Reparations.
Originally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing the news. Sign up for our daily newsletter. The 1959 Broadway debut of “A Raisin in the Sun” brought America inside a crowded Chicago apartment where the dreams of Black families went to die. And while Lorraine Hansberry was making history as the first Black […]
History of Racism Leaves Black Californians Most at Risk from Oil and Gas Drilling, Research Shows
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here. Decades before movie moguls produced celluloid heroes, oil claimed the spotlight in Los Angeles. California’s oil industry took off in the mid-1870s just 30 miles […]
HBCUs Feel Like a Return Home for Women Reenrolling After Years Away
Doris Mackins had been retired for more than a decade when she decided to return to Coppin State University to finish her degree in 2022. The 68-year-old said her decision to return to higher education was a spontaneous one — she was excited by the opportunity. This semester, Mackins is completing her last 12 credits […]
Long burdened by environmental racism, activists in Memphis are turning the tide
This story was originally published by The 19th. First, the butterflies disappeared. Then, the family dog died; and then the neighbors did, too. But Marquita Bradshaw’s biggest loss of those adolescent days was probably her great-grandmother. Susie Hall died in 1995 after developing uterine and kidney cancers. “We lost our matriarch. … She was the […]
