Employees at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are accusing the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of laying off Black CDC workers at higher rates than other racial demographic groups. Three employees — two of whom received layoff notices on Tuesday — told Capital B Atlanta […]
Health
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
What Happens If a Highly Effective HIV-Prevention Drug Is No Longer Free?
Black queer activist Preston Mitchum has been on PrEP — pre-exposure prophylaxis, a medication used to reduce the risk of getting HIV — since around 2014, just two years after its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Washington, D.C., resident remembers the barriers he and many others faced when trying to secure […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics & Policy
Cory Booker’s 25-Hour Speech: ‘Our Nation Is in Crisis’
It took Sen. Cory Booker 25 hours and 5 minutes to make his point: The Trump administration’s actions are harmful to everyday Americans — and a disruption is necessary. “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able. I rise tonight because […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Health
Her Daughter Died After a Fatal Delay in Reproductive Care. Now, She’s Fighting for Justice.
Shanette Williams has become one of the most vocal advocates for restoring federal protections for abortions. When Shanette Williams speaks publicly, she holds the obituary of her 28-year-old daughter, Amber Nicole Thurman, in her hands. She says it gives her comfort and the strength to continue to tell the story of how a Georgia hospital […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity, Partner Content
Hit Hard by Opioid Crisis, Black Patients Further Hurt by Barriers to Care
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Purple flags, representing the nearly 300 Mecklenburg County residents who died of opioid overdose in 2023, fluttered in the humid breeze last August in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on the city’s predominantly Black west side. As recently as five years ago, the event might have attracted an overwhelmingly white crowd. […]
Posted inHealth, Money
What’s in Your Braids? Toxic Chemicals Found in Synthetic Hair.
Have you ever experienced a rash or skin irritation after using synthetic hair for braids? Was your scalp itchy to the point where you had to wash your hair or take out your style? Researchers might have unlocked the answer as to why this reaction could be happening. When scientists at Consumer Reports tested synthetic […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environmental Justice, Health, Money, Public Safety
Generational Black Homes in LA Reduced to Ash Amid Growing Wildfires
Support Black-Led, Nonprofit News Capital B is an independent news organization uncovering important stories — like this one — about how Black people experience America today. But we can’t tell these stories without your help. If you support our mission, please consider becoming a member by making a tax-deductible donation. Sixty-two years burned to ashes for […]
Posted inHealth, Rural Issues
Healing a Dark Past: The Long Road to Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South
Bridging Access: Across rural America, communities of color may be facing barriers to health care, but they’re also laying the groundwork for a more equitable future. Whether it’s hospitals reopening, a community’s holistic approach to maternal care, or the grassroots work to bring comprehensive services to immigrants, these stories offer a road map. This story […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environmental Justice, Health
Climate Change Is Deepening HIV Inequities for Black Americans
As Hurricane Ida’s fierce winds ripped panels off of rooftops across New Orleans in September 2021, health workers and HIV activists braced for the aftermath. With power cut and roads blocked by debris, prescription refills and patients would be lost and forgotten in the storm’s chaotic wake across the South. And with record-breaking hurricanes like […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Health
Post Election, Black Women Strategize to Ensure Reproductive Rights for All
Nearly 90% of Black women in America voted for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the first among them to ascend to the highest office in the nation. And while her loss is hard for her supporters to accept, many of them say the patchwork collection of laws that is emerging after this month’s election […]