On Monday morning in New Orleans, 23-year-old Daniel Cressy rang a bell inside Manning Family Children’s hospital and stepped into what he calls “Life 2” — a life, for the first time, free of sickle cell disease. His treatment using Casgevy’s CRISPR/Cas9, a gene-editing technology, makes him the first patient in Louisiana and the Gulf […]
Health
Posted inMental Health
Young Black Men Are Now Dying by Suicide at a Historic Rate
This story discusses suicide, self-harm, and mental health crises involving Black men and boys. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use the chat feature at 988lifeline.org to connect with trained counselors 24/7. […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Partner Content, Politics & Policy
The Word ‘Black’ Has Disappeared From Bills Aimed at Addressing Black Maternal Health
This piece was copublished with The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics policy and power. The word “Black” has been almost completely removed from a package of bills that have long been viewed as Congress’ main legislative vehicle to address the Black maternal health crisis, frustrating some advocates who feel Black women are […]
Posted inGun Violence, Mental Health
Shreveport Mass Shooting of 8 Children Exposes Toll of Domestic Violence
Just over a day after a mass shooting left eight children dead in Shreveport, Louisiana, community members are struggling to process the tragedy. On Sunday morning, Shamar Elkins, a 31-year-old father and military veteran, shot and killed the children and wounded two women, including his wife, in a domestic violence rampage that stretched across multiple […]
Posted inBlack Migration, Health
Some Black Women Say the Best Thing They Did for Their Health Was Leave America
This story was produced as part of the Association of Health Care Journalists’ German Work Study Group, with support from the Commonwealth Fund. BERLIN – Denise Banks-Grasedyck sat inside a bustling food court full of currywurst and German cuisines in Potsdamer Platz, one of Berlin’s largest shopping plazas. The Louisiana native has lived in the […]
Posted inHealth, LGBTQ, Politics & Policy
If PrEP Coverage Disappears, Georgia’s Black Communities Could Be Hit Hardest
Cullen Smith takes an HIV preventative medication every day for “added security” and “peace of mind” after he thought he may have contracted the disease from a partner last year. “Once that situation came up, if I wanted to keep my current health, I needed to take other actions,” said Smith, an Atlanta resident. “I […]
Posted inCourts, Health, History, Science
Henrietta Lacks’ Family Reaches Settlement in Fight Over Her Stolen Cells
A long overdue reckoning for Henrietta Lacks — the Black woman whose cancer cells led to breakthroughs in the field but were harvested without her consent — has been slow but steady in recent years. It took decades for her relatives to learn that her tissue had been used for research and for them to […]
Posted inEconomy, Employment, Health, Politics & Policy
Trump Touts Success in State of the Union as Black Communities Reflect on Hard Year
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address opened with an uproar. A few minutes into Tuesday’s program, Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Green of Texas was escorted from the chamber for breaking decorum rules after holding up a sign that read, “Black People Aren’t Apes!” It was a rebuke to a racist video that Trump […]
Posted inHealth, News, Partner Content
Black Women Most at Risk From Harmful Chemicals in Unregulated Hair Products
This story was originally published on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Elissia Franklin is an analytical chemist with an infectious laugh, a penchant for braided hair extensions and a fierce commitment to reducing health disparities for Black women. Growing […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health Equity
The U.S. Government Now Says Climate Change Doesn’t Harm Human Health
In one sweeping move, President Donald Trump on Thursday erased the scientific and legal foundation of America’s clean air protections and modern climate policies. For the first time in a generation, the U.S. government no longer officially recognizes carbon pollution as a danger to public health. Black people are exposed to more pollution, on average, […]