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 […]
Margo Snipe
Margo Snipe was a health reporter at Capital B. Twitter @margoasnipe
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
‘We Can’t Live Our Lives in Fear’
JACKSONVILLE — Darlene Neal was at a Saturday luncheon to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington when she heard the police sirens and saw rescue teams swirling past. Then, her phone started buzzing, again and again. “Ms. Darlene,” one of her messages said, “it’s near you.” Three Black people were killed after a […]
Posted inHealth
Why Promising New Alzheimer’s Drugs May Not Work as Well in Black Americans
Over the past decade, Jessica Guthrie has created systems and routines that include bright sticky notes and weeks worth of meal prep. Her playbook evolves with each chapter of her mom’s disease. There are personality shifts, paranoia, and talking to unknown people in the mirror. Then, the falls that result in calls to the fire […]
Posted inMoney, The Workplace
From Racial Slurs to Lynching Jokes, New Lawsuit Details Alleged Racism in Nursing Home
Courtney Love was a few months into her job as a nursing assistant at Florala Health and Rehabilitation in Alabama when it became clear that the racism and abuse ran deeper here than the other facilities she had worked in. The insults piled on, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week, coming to a […]
Posted inHealth, Mental Health
Through Meditation and Therapy, Black Men Are Taking Care of Their Mental Health
Holding his son, Harold Hughes thought of all he’d pass down. His tech startup was part of the equation. The rest felt a bit more unsettling. “My trauma,” Hughes said, “he can inherit that, too.” It was somewhere between the birth of his son, the death of his father and the shooting of Philando Castile […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health
Will the FDA-Approved Blood Test for Preeclampsia Decrease Maternal Deaths?
The recently approved test that can predict which pregnant patients are at risk for developing severe preeclampsia is a promising step, Black doctors and midwives say, but there are limitations. “It’s definitely a welcomed tool, so we are hopeful,” said Dr. Garfield Clunie, president of the National Medical Association, which represents Black doctors. “The pause […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
As Heat Scorches Texas, Lawmakers Loosen Worker Protections
Eugene Gates worked for the U.S. Postal Service for nearly 40 years before dying on his route in Dallas. On that day in mid-June, the heat index hit 115 degrees, the highest since 1980. The exact cause of death has yet to be confirmed, but his wife and others attribute it to the brutal heat […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
Why the Warning Against BMI Won’t Ease Bias Toward Black Patients
The American Medical Association’s recent warning against the use of body mass index may be a step in the right direction — but longtime critics of the metric worry it won’t fix bias in health care assessments. It has been criticized for years because of its racist history, and many advocates and dietitians have questioned […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health
Tori Bowie’s Death Shows the Severity of Our Maternal Mortality Crisis
Three-time Olympic champion Tori Bowie’s death from childbirth complications underscores the alarming reality that Black women are more likely to face the worst pregnancy-related outcomes in the U.S., regardless of socioeconomic status. Bowie was found dead in her home in Winter Garden, Florida, in May. She was estimated to be eight months pregnant and in […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
Racism’s Relentless Toll on Black Health in America
This story was produced in partnership with Vox as part of the discrimination issue of The Highlight. OAKLAND, Calif. — On most warm days, Stephanie McWoods catches the California breeze with the bubble wand she keeps on her patio. Sometimes, the bubbles float, then burst midair. Other times, when they don’t pop, it is unclear how many miles […]