Timothy Williams’ family has lived in the same community for over 150 years, but he is afraid that they are one big storm away from losing it all. Eight years ago, the Alabama Department of Transportation widened the highway that runs just a few yards from Williams’ home in Shiloh. Since then, every time it […]
Environmental Justice
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice, Partner Content
Black Families Breathed Toxic Air as Chemical Companies Blocked Monitoring
This story is from Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action, in partnership with The Guardian and with contributions from The Louisiana Illuminator. Sign up for Floodlight’s newsletter here. Kimbrelle Kyereh lives just a few hundred feet from the massive chemical storage tanks in St. Rose, in southeastern Louisiana. Oily fumes […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice
As Wildfire Smoke Chokes the Northeast Again, Black Communities Are at Risk
The skies over New York City turned a hazy orange and grey again this week. Reminiscent of when the skies turned a deep orange in 2023 — and then again in 2024 — this reality is quickly becoming a normal summer occurrence. More than 850 wildfires are actively burning across Canada, with more than 180 […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Partner Content
Jackson Residents Warn New Pearl River Plan Won’t Stop the Next Flood
JACKSON, Mississippi — Tamitha Dill worries her house could be in danger every time it rains. Her northeast Jackson neighborhood is highly susceptible to flooding from the nearby Pearl River and its tributaries, and she was one of many residents who evacuated in 2020 when the river crested at near-record levels. Dill has followed evolving government plans […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Religion
Meta’s $250B Louisiana Data Center Is the Most Expensive in U.S.
Photo illustrations by Alexandra Watts/Capital B RICHLAND PARISH, Louisiana — Seen as far as 2 miles away, a white cross — the size of a 12-story building — welcomes you to this largely forgotten stretch of Delta country. While cotton no longer runs supreme here, every road, ballot measure, and industrial promise still has to […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Extreme Weather
Black Americans Face Heightened Risk in Record-Breaking Heat
Karen Leader has lived in public housing in Brooklyn, New York, for over 30 years, so she is no stranger to the “unbearable” heatwaves that have spread across the city and her housing complex. But this year, the 71-year-old retiree tried to get ahead of the curve. The sticker price of $300 to $800 for […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, HBCUs, Technology
As Fisk University Moves Forward With Data Center Proposal, Opposition Grows
When Naimah Muhammad heard that her alma mater, Fisk University, planned to build a data center on campus, she was annoyed and confused. The announcement came just days after the spring semester ended. There were no hearings, town halls, or meetings with students or residents of the majority-Black neighborhood in north Nashville, Tennessee, she said. […]
Posted inExtreme Weather, Sports
The World Cup’s Biggest Opponent This Summer Might Be Extreme Heat
On a Saturday morning in August 2020, when the temperature was climbing toward 111 degrees, John and Valerie Thomas watched their son Shane finish soccer practice from a shaded area near the field. He looked fine. He was joking with his coaches. Then he didn’t come back. His teammates found him unresponsive near the batting […]
Posted inBlack Migration, Climate Change, Economic Development, Environmental Justice, Housing, Politics & Policy
As the Sea Rises and Rents Triple, Miami’s Black Neighborhoods Are Disappearing
This is the second story in a series on “climate gentrification.” Support for this series was provided by The Neal Peirce Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting journalism on ways to make cities and their larger regions work better for all people. MIAMI — By the time Latonya Floyd came outside, the photographer’s lens […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice, Land Pollution
The Hidden Climate Threat Making Black Communities’ Food Less Nutritious
If you’re lucky, your family is still using great‑grandma’s red beans and rice, black‑eyed peas, and potato salad recipes. And if you’re extremely fortunate, those meals might still taste like home, even without her hands. But climate pollution has quietly made sure that the food on your plates is not the same food she was […]
