ARLINGTON, Virginia — The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down the state’s April 21 redistricting ballot measure that voters had approved and that would have helped Democrats to pick up four additional seats and bolstered Black political power in Congress. The 4-3 ruling comes just two days after the FBI raided the offices of Democratic […]
Politics & Policy
Posted inElections, Partner Content, Politics & Policy, Politics & Policy
Black Memphians Came to Fight a Voter Map That They Say Erases Them
This story was originally published by Tennessee Lookout. Breaking news: Republican lawmakers in Tennessee approved a new U.S. House map Thursday that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to hold on to a slim majority in the November midterm elections. A Tennessee […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues
Black Ranchers Got No Help After Their Cattle Were Stolen, So They Fought to Change the Law
A month after shots were fired at their rural Colorado ranch, Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery can finally celebrate some good news with a legislative win. When the couple reported their cattle stolen from their Freedom Acres Ranch, they say they didn’t receive any help from their local law enforcement officials. They went directly to […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Louisiana Exoneree Wins Election, Then Gets Blocked From Taking Office on First Day
Calvin Duncan was supposed to start on May 4 overseeing the criminal court in New Orleans after a federal judge blocked the state from eliminating the position. But less than an hour later, a higher court intervened, halting that decision at the state’s request. Five months after Duncan secured 68% of the vote to become […]
Posted inHBCUs, Politics & Policy
An HBCU Canceled Its MAGA Commencement Speaker, Now Republicans Want to Defund It
Less than two weeks before graduation day, students at South Carolina State University learned that a MAGA-supporting politician had been invited to speak at their upcoming commencement ceremony. The students wasted no time in taking their grievances about South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to the school’s president and provost. Three days after the news […]
Posted inNews, Politics & Policy
Supreme Court Ruling Threatens Black Voting Power Beyond Louisiana
Louisiana resident Press Robinson wasn’t surprised by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on Wednesday to strike down the state’s new majority-Black district. But he was deeply disappointed. “They’re determined to see to it that we don’t have a voice at all,” Robinson, a participant in the case, said Wednesday, referring to Louisiana political leaders. […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy, Unsafe Water
For 35 Years, This Black Town in Illinois Has Been Told Its Sewage Crisis Isn’t Real
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Illinois — For most people, a glass of water and a rainy day are harmless, even comforting. For Earlie Fuse, they are a haunting reminder. When the forecast calls for storms in southern Illinois, he knows to brace for the possibility that his block will turn into a lake again, cutting him off […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Culture, Juvenile Justice, Policing, Politics & Policy
Black Teens Called ‘Radioactive’ as D.C. Cuts Programs Meant to Help Them
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Youth advocate Kawana Billy nearly jumped out of her chair listening to the way a white D.C. Council member described Black youth in Washington. To him, they were “dangerous” and “radioactive,” and at one point, he alleged young people carry guns and scare residents. “It’s very interesting how folks are using these […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Justin Fairfax, Once a Rising Political Star, Kills Wife in Murder-Suicide
ARLINGTON, Virginia — Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who was the second Black American to hold that office in the state, fatally shot his estranged wife, Cerina Fairfax, and then himself at their home, police said. The couple’s two teenage children were at the Annandale home, just outside of Washington, at the time, and […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Religion
Trump’s Clash With the Pope Is Raising Alarm in Black Churches
Religion is being weaponized — and some Christians are outraged. This was one of the main takeaways from the Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain’s group chat with other Chicago faith leaders following President Donald Trump’s tirade against Pope Leo XIV. Trump this week accused Leo of being “terrible for Foreign Policy” and “WEAK on crime” because of […]
