ARLINGTON, Va. — Sequoia Ross was stunned when she saw the price of groceries during a recent trip to the store. Items ought to be more affordable, said the single mother of four and eighth grade English teacher, who lives in Amelia County, located in Virginia’s Richmond metropolitan area. “And I don’t mean through stipends […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Federal Workers Reflect on Service and Layoffs Amid Shutdown
Photographs by Kuwilileni Hauwanga, Capital B As the government shutdown nears a month and the furloughs continue, hundreds of federal employees are lining up to get food and other items at local pantries. If the work stoppage persists, more than 40 million Americans could be denied food assistance benefits. The tumult facing furloughed employees illustrates […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
These Louisiana Voters Are Standing Up to Save Voting Rights Across America
WASHINGTON — Living in North Baton Rouge is like being on the wrong side of the tracks, Martha Davis said. There are potholes everywhere that make you feel as if you’re driving on a washboard, southeastern Louisiana residents are still reeling from the loss of medical facilities, and the area has some of the lowest-performing […]
Posted inLGBTQ
Black Transgender Youth Weren’t Getting Help So These Parents Stepped In
Editor’s Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this discussion, Capital B has chosen not to use last names to protect the families’ safety. WASHINGTON — Milissa’s parents initially didn’t embrace her identity when she came out as transgender about 10 years ago, when she was still a preteen. Instead, they told her to love […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Calls for ‘New Blood’ Grow at Congressional Black Caucus Gathering
WASHINGTON — Twenty-two-year-old Dequavius Pitts was excited to be at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The recent Georgia Southern University graduate is interning in the city, and curious to see how panelists discussed issues such as LGBTQ rights. Pitts can talk about his concerns with more seasoned Black members of […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Students, Workers Hit in Trump’s Speech Crackdown
A Black student was expelled from Texas Tech University. Another was disenrolled from Texas State University. A Black fire chief in Cleveland, Ohio, was placed on paid leave. In the days since the killing of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, numerous stories have surfaced of people getting kicked out of school or losing their jobs […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Lil Nas X’s Legal Battle Sheds Light on Charge Stacking
Many were stunned when footage surfaced this summer that appeared to show Lil Nas X walking naked along Los Angeles’s Ventura Boulevard. It was shortly before 6 a.m., and he was rapping a verse from the song “Monster.” “So let me get this straight, wait, I’m the rookie? But my features and my shows 10 […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
ICE Is Stepping Up Raids. Know Your Rights Before They Knock.
Federal immigration agents have begun stepped-up enforcement in Chicago, making the nation’s third-largest city the latest focal point in the Trump administration’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. The details are few, but the endeavor — known as “Operation Midway Blitz” — is a part of President Donald Trump’s dispute with Democratic mayors and “sanctuary cities.” […]
Posted inCOVID-19, Health
COVID Hits Black Americans Harder. New Vaccine Limits Increase the Risk
Upheaval at the country’s top public health agency has left millions of Americans uncertain about access to the updated COVID-19 vaccines at a moment when rising case numbers threaten to disproportionately harm Black Americans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new shots in August. But it narrowed eligibility to people who are 65 […]
Posted inHistory
The Long Journey to Preserve Emmett Till’s Story, 70 Years After His Lynching
At about 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. arrived by train in Greenwood, Mississippi. He traveled for nearly 13 hours from Chicago aboard the Amtrak City of New Orleans. This first-of-its-kind commemorative ride was done to honor the life of his cousin and best friend, Emmett Till. Parker and Till […]