This story was originally published by Inside Climate News. BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— As federal officials continue their civil rights investigation of the Alabama Department of Transportation, a White House environmental adviser says more could be done for Black Alabamians. Robert Bullard, a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, traveled to Washington on Wednesday […]
Partner Content
Posted inLGBTQ, Partner Content, Sports
Brittney Griner’s Return to the School That Didn’t Always Embrace Her
Originally published by The 19th When basketball star Brittney Griner left Baylor University in 2013, she was one of the most decorated student-athletes in the school’s history, with accolades that included NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. But Griner had a complicated relationship with her Baptist […]
Posted inLGBTQ, Partner Content
Leaving the Church Isn’t So Simple for LGBTQ+ Black Christians
Originally published by The 19th When Karmen Michael Smith moved to New York City in 2003, he joined a new progressive Baptist church. He was raised with the understanding that if he wanted to find community in a new place, he needed to find a “church home.” But in a city known for progressive views, […]
Posted inPartner Content, Politics & Policy
New York Could Elect the Second Black Republican Woman to Congress
Originally published by The 19th Mazi Melesa Pilip, a Jewish, Ethiopian-born immigrant and mother of seven, is campaigning to keep New York’s swingy 3rd Congressional District red in a special election on Tuesday. If elected, she would be the second Black Republican congresswoman. The relative newcomer is facing Democrat Tom Suozzi — who previously represented […]
Posted inEducation, Partner Content, Student Loans
Your Employer Can Now Match Your Student Loan Repayments as 401(k) Contributions
Originally published by The 19th Starting this year, employers can match employees’ student loan repayments as 401(k) contributions, a policy that experts say can be a “game changer” for Black women, who have the highest student loan debt on average. When someone makes a student loan payment, their employer can contribute that same amount of […]
Posted inPartner Content, Politics & Policy
For the First Time, Black Women Are Leading Democrats in Early Primary States
Originally published by The 19th President Joe Biden faces no serious threat to the Democratic nomination as he seeks a second term. But the Democratic presidential primaries, beginning with South Carolina on Saturday, offer the first real window into his strength with the Black voters who make up his key voting base. An endorsement from […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Partner Content
‘Control the Narrative’: How an Alabama Utility Wields Influence by Financing News
In the more than a decade since Alabama regulators allowed a landfill to take in tons of waste from coal-burning power plants around the U.S., neighbors in the majority-Black community of Uniontown frequently complain of thick air so pungent it makes their eyes burn. On some days, it can look like an eerily white Christmas […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice, Partner Content
Detroit Residents Battle Against Neighborhood Concrete Crusher
Detroit building officials are waging a court fight to shut down a concrete crushing operation on the city’s west side that has been covering a majority Black neighborhood in dust. The city issued nearly 300 blight tickets to Grand Rapids-based Green Valley Properties over two years, according to a BridgeDetroit analysis of online city records. […]