Marcus McDonald’s roots run deep on both his sides of his family in Charleston, South Carolina. He’s a descendant of the Boone Hall Plantation, where his ancestors in his father’s family were once held captive. They come from a line of Gullah Geechee people, the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were enslaved […]
Aallyah Wright
Aallyah Wright is the rural issues reporter for Capital B. From farmers to land fights to health care and jobs, her reporting explores the issues that matter most while celebrating culture and joy.
Follow her on Bluesky @aallyahpatrice.bsky.social and Instagram @journalistaallyah.
Posted inBlack Farmers, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues
Black Ranchers Got No Help After Their Cattle Were Stolen, So They Fought to Change the Law
A month after shots were fired at their rural Colorado ranch, Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery can finally celebrate some good news with a legislative win. When the couple reported their cattle stolen from their Freedom Acres Ranch, they say they didn’t receive any help from their local law enforcement officials. They went directly to […]
Posted inCulture
5 Black Designers to Watch Out For at the 2026 Met Gala
Black designers helped shape one of fashion’s biggest nights last year, but will their creations get the same red carpet treatment again? The highly anticipated 2026 Met Gala takes place May 4 and is co-chaired by iconic Black women such as Beyoncé and Venus Williams. Misty Copeland, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, A’ja Wilson, and Angela […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Rural Issues
Black Farmers Aren’t Waiting on Washington to Save Them
SHANNON, Mississippi — What seemed like almost an empty building on a recent Saturday morning quickly filled with dozens of Black people — from retired federal employees to university officials and even education and land appraisal experts. They greeted one another while signing in at the Saving Rural America Small Farmers Conference. Some hugged before […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Rural Issues
Railroad Wins Appeal to Take Generations-Old Land in Rural Georgia
Months ago, Blaine Smith was afraid that the Georgia Court of Appeals would allow a railroad company to seize part of his family’s generations-old land. That fear came true Wednesday when the court upheld a lower court’s decision to let Sandersville Railroad exercise eminent domain to take properties from several landowners in Sparta, Georgia, to […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Housing, Rural Issues
In Rural Mississippi, a Black Town Bets on New Homes to Build Wealth
JONESTOWN, Mississippi — Felisha Stevenson has lived her whole life in this all-Black town of 852 people where everybody knows everybody. “My family, my mom, my cousin, my uncles, we’re just close,” the 40-year-old said. “In the neighborhood that I stay in right now, my sister is next door. My uncle is across the street.” […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues
How to Find Black Farmers in Your Area and Support Them
Black farmers make up less than 1% of total U.S. farmers today, significantly less than there were more than a century ago. For decades, Black farmers have been disproportionately impacted by land loss, loan rejections, and fewer resources than their white counterparts, Capital B has previously reported. Since Donald Trump took office in 2025, his […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Rural Issues
Colorado Ranchers Fear For Their Lives After Shooting On Farm
Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery believed they had moved to greener pastures after being displaced by a hurricane. They moved to Yoder, Colorado, an unincorporated town where they could nurture their animals and grow food on their 1,000-acre ranch. What the married couple say they’ve encountered, however, nearly cost them their lives. During Easter weekend, […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Rural Issues
As USDA Cuts $300 Million, Black Farmers Say They Can’t Rely on the Government
Qiddist Ashé had a gut feeling that a federal program meant to help underserved farmers get access to land wouldn’t last. In 2023, the Black Oregon Land Trust, a community land trust she co-founded, was awarded $2.5 million from the United States Department of Agriculture. It planned to use $800,000 to purchase land, distribute $300,000 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Da’Quain Johnson’s Family Disputes Police Account of Fatal Michigan Shooting
Angelica Johnson is forced to recount the images and sounds of her son, Da’Quain Johnson, being attacked by a police K-9 dog and being shot three times by police last month. “As it was livestreaming, my granddaughter was calling me to tell me that the dog was attacking him, and before I could find out […]