President Donald Trump reversed progress on climate change and reinforced his commitment to fossil fuels on Monday. While his campaign fanned the flames of culture wars and economic propaganda, his return to D.C. has already rolled back climate progress and put Black communities even more at risk. He signed executive orders pulling the United States […]
Adam Mahoney
Adam Mahoney is the climate and environment reporter at Capital B. He can be reached by email at adam.mahoney@capitalbnews.org, on Bluesky, and on X at @AdamLMahoney.
Posted inClimate Change, Environmental Justice, Health, Money, Public Safety
Generational Black Homes in LA Reduced to Ash Amid Growing Wildfires
Support Black-Led, Nonprofit News Capital B is an independent news organization uncovering important stories — like this one — about how Black people experience America today. But we can’t tell these stories without your help. If you support our mission, please consider becoming a member by making a tax-deductible donation. Sixty-two years burned to ashes for […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Extreme Weather, Incarceration
‘We Need Everyone’: How Two Formerly Incarcerated Firefighters Are Building a Movement
This story originally published in 2022, but has been updated to reflect the recent fires ravaging neighborhoods across Los Angeles County. On Jan. 8, 2025, deadly fires tore through Los Angeles County, fueled by hurricane-force winds. The Eaton and Palisades Fires, two of the most destructive in California’s history, burned about 60 square miles within […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Michael Regan Rebuilt the EPA, but Did It Deliver for Black Communities?
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 […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Louisiana’s Brand New Majority-Black Congressional District Is in Peril
ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. — Observing a joyous children’s holiday parade in the Louisiana parish she calls home, Clara LaFleur said that she isn’t surprised that the political power of Black Louisianans in her congressional district is in peril. After all, she told Capital B, it’s long seemed as if no one has been a […]
Posted inPublic Safety
‘Our City Is Always Hurting’: Black New Orleans Residents Grapple With Inequity
NEW ORLEANS – Mark Whitaker sells chicken and hot links in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter every New Year’s Eve as fireworks paint the sky along the Mississippi River. He pulls his cooler and barbecue pit through the crowded streets to maximize his profits as the city attracts up to 150,000 tourists on New Year’s […]
Posted inBlack Migration
With Trump Elected, Will More Black Americans Seek Mexico?
Over the last two months, more Americans have searched “how to move to Mexico” than ever before. Earlier this year, we examined what the country has offered Black Americans who’ve moved there in recent years. MEXICO CITY — The Yarbroughs usually sat in the back of the bus on purpose. So, when police officers hopped […]
Posted inCulture, History
New Year’s Traditions in Black Homes Are a Celebration of Survival
Playing spades under the smooth, lifting flow of old-school R&B, the air thick with the warm embrace of soul food’s aroma, feels like the perfect low-key New Year’s Eve. Yet it’s more than just a ritual — it’s actually at the heart of Black tradition, pulsing across cultures and generations. Whether it’s the southern U.S., […]
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 […]
