Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court decidedto erode a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, several Southern states have pushed to redraw their congressional maps — a move that could weaken Black voting power and political representation. The high court on April 29 issued a 6-3 decision striking down a […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Louisiana Exoneree Wins Election, Then Gets Blocked From Taking Office on First Day
Calvin Duncan was supposed to start on May 4 overseeing the criminal court in New Orleans after a federal judge blocked the state from eliminating the position. But less than an hour later, a higher court intervened, halting that decision at the state’s request. Five months after Duncan secured 68% of the vote to become […]
Posted inNews, Politics & Policy
Supreme Court Ruling Threatens Black Voting Power Beyond Louisiana
Louisiana resident Press Robinson wasn’t surprised by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on Wednesday to strike down the state’s new majority-Black district. But he was deeply disappointed. “They’re determined to see to it that we don’t have a voice at all,” Robinson, a participant in the case, said Wednesday, referring to Louisiana political leaders. […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Voting
Virginia’s Redistricting Vote Was About Representation, Power, and History
ARLINGTON, Virginia — After weeks of wall-to-wall campaigning, Virginians made their voices heard, approving a new U.S. House map that could help Democrats to pick up four additional seats and bolster Black political power in Congress. But less than 24 hours later, a judge barred the certification of the results. Wednesday’s ruling halts state officials from […]
Posted inNews, Politics & Policy
A Sudden Resignation Leaves Florida’s Blackest Congressional District in Limbo
Constituents of Florida’s heavily Black 20th Congressional District must now navigate a volatile political moment, as U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat who represented the district since 2022, resigned on Tuesday. The surprise announcement came just ahead of a hearing when the House Ethics Committee was scheduled to formally recommend disciplinary action over an investigation […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Justin Fairfax, Once a Rising Political Star, Kills Wife in Murder-Suicide
ARLINGTON, Virginia — Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who was the second Black American to hold that office in the state, fatally shot his estranged wife, Cerina Fairfax, and then himself at their home, police said. The couple’s two teenage children were at the Annandale home, just outside of Washington, at the time, and […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Religion
Trump’s Clash With the Pope Is Raising Alarm in Black Churches
Religion is being weaponized — and some Christians are outraged. This was one of the main takeaways from the Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain’s group chat with other Chicago faith leaders following President Donald Trump’s tirade against Pope Leo XIV. Trump this week accused Leo of being “terrible for Foreign Policy” and “WEAK on crime” because of […]
Posted inEquity, Politics & Policy
Black Service Members Warn Military Is Moving Backward
A troubling notion has gripped some Black current and former service members: The U.S. military — long seen as a pathway to opportunity in Black communities — seems to be drifting backward, toward a more segregated time. “[Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth] came into office promising to turn the military into a color-blind meritocracy — it is […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Americans Warn Trump’s Threat to Iran Risks Dangerous Escalation
President Donald Trump may have announced a temporary ceasefire just 90 minutes before his deadline that the U.S. would annihilate Iran if it didn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Still, hours earlier, Black political and community leaders criticized the president’s handling of the war in recent weeks. Some had called his most recent comments about […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
2 Live Crew’s Uncle Luke Is Running for Congress and Calling Out Black Trump Supporters
The 2 Live Crew: Remember them? Led by Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, the hip-hop group pioneered the Miami bass genre and Southern rap more generally in the 1980s and ’90s, as they rattled car trunks and scandalized censors with lyrics that implored women to pop that … well, you know. Fast-forward a few decades, and […]