On Sunday morning, five Black Harvard University alumnae jumped into a group chat to figure out how to build momentum around the school’s president, Claudine Gay, after she received backlash over her handling of antisemitism on campus. The sound bites floating around social media and reported in news outlets didn’t accurately reflect who Gay is, […]
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 inRural Issues
Digital Redlining and the Black Rural South
This is the first story in Capital B’s “Disconnected: Rural Black America and the Digital Divide” project, which explores the disparate effects of broadband accessibility on Black Americans in the rural South. This project is made possible by a grant from The Center for Rural Strategies and Grist. Aaron Sankin, investigative reporter for The Markup, […]
Posted inEminent Domain, Rural Issues
Why This Rural Community Is at War With a 130-Year Railroad Company
SPARTA, Ga. — On a muggy and humid afternoon in mid-September, a frustrated Mark Smith stands in the kitchen of the home he and his wife, Janet Smith, built over 30 years ago on the 600 acres his grandfather acquired in 1926. Just a few feet away, the home where Mark grew up still stands. […]
Posted inEminent Domain, Rural Issues
Resources for Black Families Fighting for Control of Their Land
Josephine Wright can finally enjoy a bit of good news after eight months of fighting in court over her land in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. While the dispute isn’t over, the 93-year-old is getting a newly built, five-bedroom home on her property. For more than 30 years, Wright has lived on the land, which […]
Posted inEminent Domain, Rural Issues
Years of Water Woes Could Cost Alabama Residents Their Homes
PRICHARD, Ala. — On a hot afternoon in September, Angela Robinson Adams walked to her backyard, where the recent rain showers created “her own swimming pool.” Adams’ yard rarely floods, but the streets in her Alabama Village neighborhood often do. She had little water pressure in her home, so she called the Prichard Water Works […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
A Search for Answers in Morgan State Shooting’s Aftermath
BALTIMORE, MD. — Less than 24 hours after videos showed SWAT officers raiding dorm rooms following a shooting during homecoming week, Morgan State University’s campus was eerily quiet. By then, classes had been canceled, with no arrests made. And, at the scene where the triggers were pulled, any evidence of the previous night’s violence had vanished. […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Rural Issues
How Black Farmers Are Navigating Climate Change With Limited Federal Support
Six months ago, Anthony “AJ” McKenzie, a 30-year-old cool vegetable crop and livestock farmer in North Carolina, stopped farming on his 40 acres. Last year, a drought killed at least 85% of his crop, which caused him to lose income. Usually, he’d grow his cabbage and turnip, mustard, and collard greens twice in the fall […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
The Jacksonville Tragedy at Dollar General Highlights a Big Problem with Dollar Stores
Before killing three Black people at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, a white gunman first stopped at a Family Dollar down the road, according to authorities. He left minutes after a security vehicle pulled up and parked in front of the store. That and other information has led Florida authorities to believe […]
Posted inMoney
A Call to End Credit Scores to Determine Auto Insurance Rates
Auto insurance companies’ use of credit information to determine rates poses a disproportionate financial burden on Black and low-income communities, but financial experts say there are ways to protect yourself. A recent report from Consumer Federation of America found that Americans with fair or poor credit — regardless of their driving records — pay, on […]
Posted inEducation, K-12
How to Combat the Whitewashing of Black Studies
The backlash to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ assault on Black history and the release of the Florida Board of Education’s new teaching standards has been swift — but with the new school year starting this month, enraged parents and educators may not have much of a choice in the classroom. The requirement that middle school […]
