U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida won the Aug. 18 Democratic primary for the state’s historically Black 20th Congressional District — besting contenders including a hip-hop icon, a former congresswoman accused of stealing disaster funds, a Jamaica-born former mayor, and a progressive educator. Beneath some of the drama that’s captured headlines lie real stakes […]
Congress
Posted inNews, Partner Content
Angie Nixon Notches an Upset Victory in Florida’s Democratic Senate Primary
This story was originally reported by Mel Leonor Barclay of The 19th. Florida Democrat Angie Nixon, a progressive who recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America, won Democrats’ nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in a stunning upset that gave progressives a win in a highly unlikely state. Nixon, a Florida state representative and community […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy
The First Black Woman Will Lead the CDC, but Can She Restore Trust?
The Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, placing her in charge of the agency beleaguered by turmoil: resignations, deep staff cuts, and major changes to vaccine policies. In a 51-44 vote Wednesday, the 54-year-old became the 22nd leader and the first Black woman to […]
Posted inElections, News, Partner Content
Cori Bush’s Primary Loss Further Hurts Black Women’s Chances for Representation in Congress
This story was originally reported by Mel Leonor Barclay of The 19th. Former Democratic Rep. Cori Bush will not be returning to Congress after failing to retake her old seat from Rep. Wesley Bell in the heated primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ. Bush was first elected to […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Black Alabama Voters Lose Again as Supreme Court Greenlights Map
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Alabama to use a map that eliminates a district where Black voters had the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. “The Supreme Court’s decision gives cover to Alabama and others to deliberately and openly discriminate against Black voters without fear of any consequence,” Deuel Ross, the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Louisiana Republicans Eliminate the District Black Voters Fought to Win
NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana Republicans on Friday approved a new congressional map that erodes Black voting power in the state. The map eliminates a majority-Black district established in 2024 that gave residents there an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. Friday’s move comes one month after the U.S. Supreme Court found that the lines […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
This South Carolina District Is at the Center of a Fight Over Black Representation
COLUMBIA, South Carolina — To Jasmine Broadwater, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina isn’t some distant power broker in Washington, D.C. He’s a hometown fixture. Broadwater, 32, grew up in Columbia, the state’s capital, and she said that Clyburn would sometimes “just randomly pop up at school.” His daughter Jennifer Clyburn Reed was one […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Voters in the South Want Leaders Who Fight but Also Deliver
Farmer Jeremy Peaches spends his days thinking about food: not only how to grow it and where to send it — but also whether people can afford it. The owner of the Fresh Life Organic Produce Co., he manages 25 acres of vegetables for restaurants, food banks, and residents in the largely Black community of […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Black Women Are Turning the Supreme Court Ruling Into a Battle Cry
The flurry of direct attacks on voting rights in the South has thrust voters, candidates, and organizers into a state of chaos and confusion in the midst of an election season. It’s a result of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act. It allowed several states, including Alabama, […]
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. […]
