Texas’ ultimatum that its public colleges and universities either ban diversity, equity, and inclusion — or DEI — efforts or lose state funding has Black educators such as Dwonna Goldstone, the director of the African American studies program at Texas State University, on edge. Though the law goes into effect six months from now, she […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
Posted inCulture, LGBTQ
This Black Trans Filmmaker Highlights the Joy in Her Community
For Kristen Lovell, simply picking up the camera is a revolutionary act. Being in the director’s chair allows the Black transgender filmmaker to extend empathy and dimensionality to members of her community in a world resistant to their mere presence. Just a few days into Pride Month, the Human Rights Campaign, for the first time […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
What an Affirmative Action Ban Could Mean for College Diversity
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to wipe out affirmative action in higher education any day now. If the erasure of a decades-old precedent occurs, the crucial question will be: How to bolster diversity on college campuses without the help of race-conscious policies? Universities will have to be creative, experts say, and consider approaches that […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Supreme Court Upholds Voting Rights Act in Victory for Black Political Power
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a ruling that protects Black voting power, shocking court watchers who feared that the court’s conservative majority would use the case to further weaken the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In its 5-4 Allen v. Milligan decision, the bench affirmed a lower court ruling that said that Alabama’s […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
This U.S. Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Black Political Power
To read about how the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Allen v. Milligan, check out Capital B’s story here. Allen v. Milligan hasn’t captured quite as much attention as other cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. But the bench’s decision — expected in the coming weeks — could have a seismic impact on Black political […]
Posted inEconomy, Money
What the Debt Ceiling Deal Means for Black Americans
Though the U.S. Senate passed a bill to suspend the debt ceiling for two years, the federal plan to impose stiffer work requirements on food stamp recipients and mandate an end to the student loan repayment freeze could create an outsized financial burden for Black Americans, some experts say. The proposals are part of a […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Tim Scott and the Republican Party’s Uphill Battle for Black Voters
Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott would need to radically soften his party’s image to meaningfully grow his support among Black voters, political observers say. Yet that doesn’t seem too likely, given that during the South Carolina senator’s official announcement of his White House bid on Monday, he didn’t do much to quiet the concerns Black […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
The U.S. Supreme Court Seems Ready to Gut Affirmative Action
This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority is anticipated to end affirmative action, which for decades has sought to remedy a bruising legacy of discrimination against marginalized groups, including Black Americans. Nearly 10 years ago, Students for Fair Admissions, an organization headed by Edward Blum, a stockbroker turned conservative legal strategist, filed lawsuits against […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘America Can Go Only as Far as the South Goes’
Residents can’t afford to look away from the issues afflicting Tennessee, even though national media coverage has dwindled since April, when state Reps. Justin J. Pearson and Justin Jones, both Democrats, returned to the General Assembly’s lower house. Too much is at stake, especially for those in Pearson’s city of Memphis, in Shelby County, which […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
North Carolina Judges’ Rulings Are a ‘Gut Punch’ to Black Residents
Voting rights advocates are undaunted by the blows that the Republican-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court has struck against access to the ballot box and fair representation — and that will disproportionately disadvantage Black people in the state. “This is where SNCC [the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] was founded. This is where Ella Baker grew up,” […]
