On the campaign trail, Arkansas congressional candidate Chris Jones has been hell bent on breaking down racial barriers to Black political representation, even as Republican-led redistricting efforts have undermined Black voting power across the South. With a slight lead in polls, Jones, 49, believes that there’s just too much at stake for him to slow […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Justin Jones Wants Black Voters to See the Bigger Fight Behind Tennessee’s New Map
When Tennessee Republicans divided Nashville among three congressional districts in 2022, the move dismantled a Democratic bastion. Just four years later, Memphis got a similar treatment. Republican lawmakers in May approved a new congressional map that cracked Memphis, gutting the state’s only remaining Democratic congressional seat. For state Rep. Justin Jones, 31, a Nashville Democrat […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Culture
Freddie Jackson, R&B Hitmaker Who Sang on His Own Terms, Dies at Age 69
R&B balladeer Freddie Jackson has died, his family announced on Tuesday, just days after the singer celebrated his birthday. He was 69. “Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” the family said in a statement. “He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Black Virginians Are Fighting a Voting Barrier That Outlasted Jim Crow
RICHMOND, Virginia — Within a week of leaving prison in 2024, Quadaire Patterson applied to have his right to vote restored. He waited for about two years, without success. But when he checked Virginia’s online portal this past August, there had been a big change. His status said “pending,” whereas before it had said “denied.” […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Angie Nixon Says the Fight for Black Voting Power Demands Elected Officials ‘Get Louder’
Angie Nixon has spent more than two decades advocating for Black and working-class communities in Florida. But the Jacksonville native didn’t make a splash on the national stage until she stunned many in her bid to become the state’s first Black senator. The Democratic Socialist trounced her better-funded opponent Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic primary […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Voting
How the Congressional Black Caucus Is Organizing to Protect Black Voting Power
WASHINGTON — There’s a heaviness hanging over this year’s Congressional Black Caucus conference, as U.S. Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana and other caucus members talk strategy ahead of the midterms just months away. “Be angry enough to fight. Angry enough to vote,” Carter said Wednesday, the first day of the annual convening in the nation’s […]
Posted inHistory, Politics & Policy
Smithsonian’s Leader to Step Down Amid Trump Efforts to Reshape Black History
Photographs by Kuwilileni Hauwanga/Capital B Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Smithsonian Institution’s first Black secretary, is stepping down after more than a year of escalating attacks from the White House over how the institution presents U.S. history. “I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and […]
Posted inCulture, LGBTQ, Mental Health
As Lil Nas X Spotlights Black Queer Men’s Mental Health, Advocates Push for Healing
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. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use the chat feature at 988lifeline.org to connect with trained counselors. ARLINGTON, Virginia — Raised in a religious community […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Voting
Black Voting Power Is Under Attack, So Thousands Came to D.C. to Fight Back
WASHINGTON — Shirley Lee traveled nearly 1,500 miles from Houston to the nation’s capital. Wearing a cowboy hat emblazoned with an American flag, she said that she wasn’t going to miss this year’s March on Washington. “It’s my 70th birthday on Sunday, so [being here] is my birthday present to me,” Lee told Capital B. […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Trump Is Moving to Restrict Mail Voting Just Months Before the Midterms
With the midterm elections less than three months away, efforts to restrict access to the ballot box — efforts that could have major ramifications for Black voters — continue. A federal judge on Sept. 4 prevented the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing the Trump administration’s new rules during the upcoming November elections, prompting the administration […]
