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 […]
End of year: 2024
Posted inPolitics & Policy
His Father Bankrupted the Klan. Now He’s Going to Congress to Continue the Fight.
It’s the start of a new political era in Alabama. In November, Shomari Figures, a Democrat, won his race against his Republican rival Caroleene Dobson to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, which had recently been redrawn to be majority Black after the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 2023 that the previous map likely violated the […]
Posted inCulture, History
New Year’s Traditions in Black Homes Are a Celebration of Survival
Playing spades under the smooth, lifting flow of old-school R&B, the air thick with the warm embrace of soul food’s aroma, feels like the perfect low-key New Year’s Eve. Yet it’s more than just a ritual — it’s actually at the heart of Black tradition, pulsing across cultures and generations. Whether it’s the southern U.S., […]
Posted inCulture, History, Politics & Policy
How Music and Art Have Helped Black Americans Weather Troubling Times
In 1975, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes laid down a melodic mandate that applies to our times: “Wake up, everybody / No more sleepin’ in bed,” Teddy Pendergrass, the former lead singer of the group, commands. “No more backward thinkin’ / Time for thinkin’ ahead / The world has changed so very much / […]
Posted inUncategorized
One Family’s Journey to Reclaim Their Ancestral Land Gains Lawmakers Support
This holiday season, Candice Hammons is grateful for one of the greatest gifts she received this year: unwavering support for her family’s pursuit of their land. For the past two years, Hammons and her immediate and distant relatives have organized to take back land near Jacksonville, Texas. In 1855, her great-great-great grandfather, Albartis, or Albertis, […]
Posted inCulture, History
How Collard Greens Became a Symbol of Resilience and Tradition
Writer and scholar Alexis Pauline Gumbs makes greens almost every day: chard, kale and — this time of the year — heaping pots of vegan collard greens. Gumbs, author of the recent Audre Lorde biography Survival is a Promise and a thinker who delights in the natural world, finds something meditative about “the process of […]
Posted inNews
Black Stories You May Have Missed in 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, Capital B is reflecting on some of the stories that resonated most with readers and our staff. These stories published this year highlight the brilliance, strength, and creativity of Black people in the face of both triumphs and challenges. At Capital B, we continuously tell unique stories that center […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Why Has Qualified Immunity Excused Officers’ Misconduct for Decades?
The movement to increase accountability for police officers who use excessive force may have seen its most significant setback yet with the second election of Donald Trump as president. Trump has promised the nation’s police officers that he will grant them “immunity from prosecution,” a move that legal experts say would deal a severe blow […]