Less than 30 minutes into a Love Island watch party on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, all hell broke loose. On Aug. 31, several Black student organizations had gathered in a small building to watch the popular reality TV show when a white man walked in, yelling racial slurs. […]
Alecia Taylor
Alecia Taylor is the national education reporter at Capital B.
Posted inCriminal Justice, History
A Series of Hanging Deaths Has Black Families Demanding Answers
This story discusses suicide, self-harm, and mental health crises. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use the chat feature at 988lifeline.org to connect with trained counselors 24/7. A teenage immigrant is reported […]
Posted inEducation, HBCUs
HBCUs to Receive $174 Million Federal Funding Boost
Historically Black colleges and universities will get a one-time $174 million investment in what the Trump administration has called keeping its pledge to support institutions that have played a role advancing opportunities for generations. “For nearly 200 years, HBCUs have been engines of opportunity in communities, advancing critical innovations and uplifting local industries across the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Voters in Kansas City Face Divided District as Federal Court Sides With GOP
Missouri politicians and residents are both pleading with the state’s Supreme Court over which congressional map to use just weeks before midterm elections. Earlier this week, a federal appeals court in Missouri said the state must use a Republican redistricting map weeks after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against the decision twice. People Not Politicians, […]
Posted inHigher Education, Politics & Policy
The Slow Disappearance of Black Studies on College Campuses
For Northwestern University alumna Keala Uchôa, the university’s recent decision to restructure its African Studies program and cut two staff positions is hardly surprising. The move isn’t isolated. Over the years, the university and students have clashed over protests, a faculty member has sued over not getting tenure, and some current and former students – […]
Posted inHBCUs, Higher Education, Mental Health
HBCUs Are Building New Support Systems for Black Male Students
This story was produced with support from the Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship program. COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Before heading to Howard University in fall 2021, Christopher Davis was determined to be the first Black man in his family to graduate from college. Not even a pandemic or financial insecurity could keep him from his […]
Posted inHigher Education
Black Academics See Their Own Struggles in the Death of a British Professor
The headlines about a Black British professor’s death in London and the plagiarism allegations about his work hit too close to home for Emmitt Riley. Jason Arday, the youngest Black professor in the University of Cambridge’s history when he was appointed in 2023, died Aug. 14 after weeks of intense scrutiny of his background and […]
Posted inHBCUs
Black Colleges Are Building More Dorms Amid Enrollment Growth
Housing has long been a strain on Black colleges, but this summer, several HBCUs flipped that narrative. They are breaking ground on new dorms and announcing housing developments just as enrollment climbs. HBCUs make up just 3% of U.S. higher education institutions, yet they educate more than 10% of Black Americans with college degrees, according […]
Posted inEmployment, HBCUs, Higher Education, The Workplace
A Free D.C. Trade Program Is Connecting Black Students to Higher-Paying Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Marcus Bruce leaned against the tables where he and his carpentry students paused to answer questions from local middle schoolers on a recent tour of the University of the District of Columbia’s workforce campus. The young students didn’t hold back: “What happens to student loans? Will they take it from your check […]
Posted inHBCUs, Higher Education
Tuskegee Students Say the Dress Code Debate Misses the Real Issues
Payton Arentt didn’t give an extra thought to an email from the Tuskegee University administration announcing a dress code and cellphone policy — but she did wonder why people weren’t talking more about the radio silence around financial aid and housing. As a rising senior, Arentt said there’s always been an understanding on campus about […]
