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.” […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
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 […]
Posted inHistory, Politics & Policy
What’s Really in the Blacksonian. It’s Not How Trump Framed It.
Photographs by Kuwilileni Hauwanga/Capital B “Woke.” “Out of control.” “Nothing about success.” President Donald Trump on Aug. 19 took to his social media platform to post about what he believes are the failures of the Smithsonian Institution when it comes to depicting the experiences of Black Americans. He claimed that the Smithsonian — which includes […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Why Voting Is Becoming Harder for Black Americans in Southern States
Rod Sias remembers how deeply hurt he was when Louisiana lost its second majority-Black congressional district in the 1990s. Because of a federal court ruling, the 56-year-old Opelousas resident said, Black Louisianans were denied an opportunity to elect another U.S. representative who might advocate for them in Congress. Cleo Fields, the representative who had been […]
Posted inHistory
Black Tourists Defend History as Trump Targets the Smithsonian
WASHINGTON — When Ronnie Underwood heard President Donald Trump’s claim this week that the Smithsonian Institution is “out of control” and focuses on “how horrible our country is,” he grew angry, he said. The way Underwood, 65, sees it, if we don’t know our past, how can we learn from it? He’s from Bessemer, Alabama, and […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Texas Rep. Stays Overnight in Chamber to Oppose Map She Says Hurts Black, Latino Voters
The redistricting battle in Texas has taken a turn. After state House Democrats returned from their walkout, they were informed on Monday that they would need a police escort when they leave the chamber floor in order to prevent them from fleeing the state again before the House reconvenes on Wednesday. State Rep. Nicole Collier, […]
Posted inPolicing, Politics & Policy
The History of National Guard Deployments in Black Cities, and Why D.C. Is Different
Omar Wasow was studying race and politics at Stanford University when on April 29, 1992, a jury acquitted the police officers who beat Rodney King of almost all charges. For nearly a week, Los Angeles was on fire, as people raged against a verdict they viewed as unjust. Within a day of the decision, President […]
Posted inPolicing, Politics & Policy
Black D.C. Residents Say Trump’s Tactics Bring More Fear, Not Safety
WASHINGTON — As a young Black woman, Kaylei Thomas has always been urged by her parents to be careful when out in public. The 18-year-old has learned to avoid causing “unnecessary problems” that might attract the attention of the police. Thomas, a student at Howard University, was reminded of this warning earlier this week, after President […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
The Voting Rights Act Turns 60. Its Future Has Never Looked More Fragile.
Khadidah Stone will never forget the day in 2023 she learned that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld voting rights in her home state of Alabama. She was in a store when her phone buzzed, flooded with messages. “I was standing in the aisle crying,” she recalled. “And the guy at the front of the store […]