BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Walking through the bright blue and yellow doors of Ryan Elementary School to cast his first-ever ballot, 18-year-old Altori Doherty had never heard the name Jamie Davis, a Black Democrat running to be Louisiana’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction. Neither had 37-year-old Thedric Haney. Nor had 25-year-old Vivian Hayes. Down […]
Florida
Posted inBlack Farmers, Elections, Politics & Policy
Black Democrats Made History, So Did a Black Farmer
On Election Day, Black women in Georgia broke barriers in more ways than one. Voters there not only elected the first Black woman governor in U.S. history, but also chose Katherine Juhan-Arnold as the state’s first woman and Black commissioner of agriculture. “Georgia, we did it! I am overwhelmed with gratitude,” Juhan-Arnold wrote in a […]
Posted inNews
Angie Nixon Won’t Be Florida’s First Black Senator
After pulling off a surprise win in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in August, state Rep. Angie Nixon lost to her Republican rival, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, in the general election Tuesday, the AP projects. A longtime community organizer whose campaign prioritized affordable healthcare and a universal jobs program, Nixon was poised to become Florida’s […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Extreme Weather
A Late Hurricane Shows the Danger of a Warming Gulf for Black Communities
It may have been a quiet hurricane season up until Hurricane Isaias hit parts of Florida and Alabama over the weekend. For Gulf Coast residents, the impact was another clear example of how human-caused ocean warming is changing what was deemed normal for generations. With more than a month until hurricane season ends, Isaias’ wrath […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Angie Nixon Says the Fight for Black Voting Power Demands Elected Officials ‘Get Louder’
Angie Nixon has spent more than two decades advocating for Black and working-class communities in Florida. But the Jacksonville native didn’t make a splash on the national stage until she stunned many in her bid to become the state’s first Black senator. The Democratic Socialist trounced her better-funded opponent Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic primary […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, History
A Series of Hanging Deaths Has Black Families Demanding Answers
This story discusses suicide, self-harm, and mental health crises. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use the chat feature at 988lifeline.org to connect with trained counselors 24/7. A teenage immigrant is reported […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Surprise Wins in Florida Primaries Will Test the Future of State’s Black Political Power
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 […]
Posted inHealth Equity, Partner Content, Public Safety
Florida Hospitals Act Fast to Discharge Gun Victims — Especially if They’re Not Insured
This story was originally published by KFF Health News and The Trace. Alea Bates wasn’t ready to leave Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s main hospital four days after a stranger shot her seven times at close range. Miraculously, hospital records show, none of the bullets damaged her internal organs. But after surgery, Bates said, she couldn’t get […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues
One of America’s Last Black Homesteads Is Fighting to Preserve Its Full Story
Beverly Steele didn’t realize her hometown could be recognized for its historic significance. It’s one of the only two African American homesteading communities left in the nation. In Royal, Florida, Black families are still holding onto the inherited 40-acre plot passed down nearly two centuries ago. It’s a rare reality in America today, given the […]
Posted inBlack Migration, Climate Change, Economic Development, Environmental Justice, Housing, Politics & Policy
As the Sea Rises and Rents Triple, Miami’s Black Neighborhoods Are Disappearing
This is the second story in a series on “climate gentrification.” Support for this series was provided by The Neal Peirce Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting journalism on ways to make cities and their larger regions work better for all people. MIAMI — By the time Latonya Floyd came outside, the photographer’s lens […]
