Welcome back to Everything’s Political, Capital B’s weekly news, culture, and politics newsletter! In this edition, learn about how a pioneering Black actor lived up to the idea that all art is political, what an Arkansas ruling means for two Black educators in the state, why Louisiana might backtrack on its voting map, what’s next […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Voter Apathy Is Real. Here’s How Black Organizers Are Tackling It.
Black Voters and the Fight for Democracy is a multi-part series that explores the stakes of the 2024 election for our communities. This project was produced as part of the Advancing Democracy Fellowship. HARRISBURG, Pa. — “Are y’all bored? Who’s bored?” Wearing mules, jeans, and a T-shirt emblazoned with the name of her nonprofit group — […]
Posted inEverything's Political, Politics & Policy
Everything’s Political, Including This Holiday
Welcome back to Everything’s Political, Capital B’s news, culture, and politics newsletter! Every Thursday, I’ll take a look at recent stories that seem particularly noteworthy. But before we dive into this week’s roundup, I first wanted to let you know that Capital B has released a mission statement and FAQ explaining how our national newsroom […]
Posted inHistory, Policing, Politics & Policy
Gaza, Student Protest, and the Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement
Looking at the images might make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. Late on Tuesday, New York City police clad in riot gear entered Columbia University and removed dozens of peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrators, leading them away with their hands zip-tied behind their backs. Over the past week, hundreds of college students calling […]
Posted inEverything's Political, Politics & Policy
Everything’s Political, Including TikTok
Welcome back to Everything’s Political, Capital B’s news, culture, and politics newsletter! Every Thursday, I’ll take a look at recent stories that seem particularly noteworthy. Here’s what I’ve got for you this week. TikTok Might Be on Borrowed Time The clock is ticking for TikTok. Pointing to alleged national security risks, President Joe Biden on […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Project 2025’ and the Movement That Could Erode Black Equality
Reporting from Axios this month revealed that one of the main goals of a second Trump administration would be to redirect the federal government’s focus to what the former president and his supporters believe is the problem afflicting our country: “anti-white racism.” In particular, they would seek to erode 1960s-era policies that have nourished economic […]
Posted inEverything's Political, Politics & Policy, Voting
Everything’s Political, Including Your Voice
Welcome back to Everything’s Political, Capital B’s news, culture, and politics newsletter! Every Thursday, I’ll take a look at recent stories that seem particularly noteworthy. Here’s what I’ve got for you this week. Black Dissent Under Siege in the Deep South Exactly 60 years ago this month, organizers in Mississippi — including Fannie Lou Hamer, […]
Posted inEverything's Political, Politics & Policy
Everything’s Political, Including Your Body
Welcome back to Everything’s Political, Capital B’s news, culture, and politics newsletter! Every Thursday, I’ll take a look at recent stories that seem particularly noteworthy. Here’s what I’ve got for you this week. Trump Tries to Muddy the Waters on Abortion Rights Smoke and mirrors. That’s one way to describe former President Donald Trump’s recent […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Are We Really in the Middle of a ‘Racial Realignment’ in Politics?
The claim that Black voters are bolting to President Donald Trump’s Republican Party seems premature — and fuels a narrative that places the responsibility for the presidential election outcome on Black voters. This notion of realignment has gotten more attention in recent months, as political observers try to make sense of polls showing that some […]
Posted inHistory, Politics & Policy
Black Residents Battle Against Tennessee GOP’s Effort to Ban Reparations
The Rev. Earle J. Fisher, an activist and longtime resident of Memphis, Tennessee, is battling against yet another assault on Black economic and political progress by state Republicans. Since the murder of George Floyd in 2020, these efforts have ramped up, particularly in majority-Black Shelby County, the largest county in the state. Just last month, […]