This is the fourth story in our series chronicling the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Trigger warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide, gun violence, and child deaths that may be distressing to some readers. As the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approached in 2015, Michelle McCullum, a 25-year-old mother of two, drove her children, […]
Mental Health
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Extreme Weather, Mental Health, Partner Content
Extreme Heat Is Causing a Black Suicide Crisis in Phoenix. Urban Farms Offer a Lifeline
LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHER BLACK AMERICANS, Tiffany Hawkins’ grandparents, Earnest and Mattie Lee Johnson, left the Jim Crow South in the 1950s to pick cotton in Arizona’s desert. Many sought opportunities in cities like Chicago and Detroit, but the Johnsons chose Arizona, where their lives and those of their children — including Hawkins’ mother, Arlene […]
Posted inEmployment, Federal Overhaul, Mental Health, Politics & Policy
Fired, Rehired, Fired Again. Massive Federal Cuts Leave Black Workers Reeling.
Federal Overhaul is a multipart series that explores the impact of the Trump administration’s restructuring of the federal government on Black communities. Regina Fuller-White had been applying for various roles at the United States Agency for International Development for more than a year, filling out applications whenever a new position opened up only to hear […]
Posted inMental Health, Politics & Policy
Strategies for Black Americans to Nurture Mental Health After the Election
As Black, immigrant, pregnant, and low-income people brace for the possible worst outcomes of a second Trump administration, many, maybe even you, are grappling with a flood of emotions – fear, anger, sadness, and a deep sense of grief. With the news cycle churning with reports of the potential for an administration that perpetuates anti-Black […]
Posted inMental Health
Morgan Farley’s Family Never Stopped Looking For Her. Now She’s Back Home.
Morgan Farley is home. For two months, her father, sister, and friends were relentless in their search. They took to the streets of Chicago, social media, and locator apps to find her. And earlier this month, Morgan safely returned to the home she shares with her father. “Morgan made it home a couple weeks ago. […]
Posted inMental Health, Policing
So Many Are Searching for This Missing Black Woman — But Not Chicago Police
Capital B is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to uncovering important stories — like this one — about how Black people experience America today. But we can’t publish pieces like this without your help. If you support our mission, please consider becoming a member by making a tax-deductible donation. Donate today. On the morning of April […]
Posted inHealth, Mental Health
Does Money Buy Happiness for Black Americans?
When Shelisa Demuth moved to a new home a few months ago, she paused as she packed to sift through boxes of old birthday cards and letters. She held onto the ones she felt were really important, and melted as she read the once stashed-away letters from her mom. The relationship had weathered many seasons. […]
Posted inHealth, Mental Health
Amid Trauma, Black Americans Are Choosing to Heal
This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. CHICAGO — As they sat on the two chairs in Courtney G. Smith’s living room, they bounced between laughter and deep thought. For at least an hour, they contemplated how past traumas […]
Posted inHealth, Mental Health
What’s Driving Black Kids to the ER?
This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Black children and adolescents have the highest rate of mental health-related emergency department visits, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week. It’s an […]
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 […]
