Posted inHealth

How Gun Violence Is Frustrating Public Health Advocates

Gun-related emergency room visits and deaths among Black children soared during the pandemic — and experts and activists say that while the recent data isn’t necessarily surprising, it’s frustrating. There are potential solutions, but they say elected officials and institutions aren’t putting enough resources into preventative measures.  “We had communities that were already on fire, […]

Posted inHealth, Health Equity

What a Proposed Ban on Some Chemicals in Hair Straighteners Means for Black Women

As research stacks up pointing to the long-term health risks of chemical hair relaxers, aka “creamy crack,” many Black women have long ditched the lye and are sticking with their natural hair textures.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent proposed ban on cancer-causing formaldehyde, a key ingredient in some products, has been called a […]

Posted inHealth, Mental Health

The Racism Black Kids Endure Is Spiraling Into a Health Crisis

Ignored complaints of students using racist slurs, Black children getting in trouble for reporting instances of discrimination, and white students mockingly reenacting the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers are all outlined in a lawsuit that hit a Georgia school district earlier this year.  The case is just the tip of the iceberg when it […]

Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence

A Search for Answers in Morgan State Shooting’s Aftermath

BALTIMORE, MD. — Less than 24 hours after videos showed SWAT officers raiding dorm rooms following a shooting during homecoming week, Morgan State University’s campus was eerily quiet.  By then, classes had been canceled, with no arrests made. And, at the scene where the triggers were pulled, any evidence of the previous night’s violence had vanished. […]

Posted inCOVID-19, Health

The New COVID-19 Vaccine Is Rolling Out. Here’s What Black Americans Should Know.

Amid the recent uptick in COVID hospitalizations, a new round of vaccines is being introduced. The shots could be particularly important for Black Americans, who have continued to show an increased risk for severe complications from the virus.  Although much smaller than past spikes, COVID deaths have risen above 1,000 per week this month and […]

Posted inCulture, History

Racist Policies, Racist Attack: Jacksonville Deplores Lack of Black History Education

JACKSONVILLE — Just after 6 p.m. Monday, chants rang out from James Weldon Johnson Park. Black fists waved in the air as cheers and claps mobilized the crowd that had gathered downtown for a rally against white supremacy.  “Black lives matter!” they yelled from underneath trees that provided little shade from Florida’s summer heat. It had […]