JACKSONVILLE — Darlene Neal was at a Saturday luncheon to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington when she heard the police sirens and saw rescue teams swirling past. Then, her phone started buzzing, again and again. “Ms. Darlene,” one of her messages said, “it’s near you.” Three Black people were killed after a […]
Florida
Posted inCriminal Justice
Victims Identified in Racist Shooting at Jacksonville Dollar General
Three Black people were killed in a racist attack at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday afternoon, authorities said, shortly after security officers turned away the gunman at a nearby HBCU campus, where he was seen putting on an armored vest. Authorities identified the victims as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Anolt Joseph “AJ” […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
The Racist Attack That Roiled Black Jacksonville Decades Before the Dollar General Shooting
The city of Jacksonville, Florida, is reeling from the racist killing of three Black people at a Dollar General on Saturday, after a white gunman targeted a historically Black neighborhood with weapons emblazoned with swastikas, authorities said. This weekend was already a notorious one for Black Jacksonville, falling on the 63rd anniversary of one of […]
Posted inEducation, K-12
How to Combat the Whitewashing of Black Studies
The backlash to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ assault on Black history and the release of the Florida Board of Education’s new teaching standards has been swift — but with the new school year starting this month, enraged parents and educators may not have much of a choice in the classroom. The requirement that middle school […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
How Florida Restricting Abortion Access Affects Black People in the South
Florida’s law prohibiting most abortions statewide after six weeks has ignited fear among those who say the ban could have catastrophic — and potentially life-threatening — impacts on Black women’s health. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision last summer, access to abortion in the South has become increasingly limited. It’s […]
Posted inEducation, K-12
GOP States Are Targeting AP Black Studies. Here’s How Kids Can Learn It Outside of School.
This story has been updated. At least four Republican-led states are considering whether a new African American Studies course is in compliance with its laws that restrict lessons on race, following Florida’s ban on the proposed course last month. Officials in education departments in Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Virginia are reviewing the advanced placement […]
Posted inEducation, K-12
Florida’s Rejection of Af-Am Studies Reflects the Historical Fight for Black Education
Florida officials have rejected a new Advanced Placement course on African American Studies, calling it “woke indoctrination” that “significantly lacks educational value.” The state education board released a list of their concerns with the new course, which, like others in the AP program, allows high school students to earn college credit through an advanced curriculum […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Will Voter Fraud Arrests Dampen Turnout for the Midterm Elections?
Even while he was caught up in street life on the South Side of Chicago, Aaron Smith knew he had a civic duty. The college graduate was misusing his business education to hustle heroin, but come election time, he would be filling out his ballot from top to bottom. “Local governments are really what’s going […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Extreme Weather
In Fort Myers, Black Residents Fear Hurricane Aid Will Bypass Their Neighborhoods
Editor’s note: Following Capital B’s story, Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg tweeted on October 3 that the agency is providing resources to the Dunbar neighborhood. “We are aware of the needs in Dunbar and sent teams to the area yesterday. Our @FEMA disaster survivor assistance teams are going door to door again today […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voices of Change
Meet Maxwell Frost. He May Be the First Member of Gen Z in Congress.
Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Capital B is talking to newsmakers across the country who want to reshape American politics or galvanize Black voices in government. Our “Voices of Change” series will update periodically with insights from the candidates, activists, lawmakers, and political insiders whom you should know. Progressive activist Maxwell Alejandro Frost wants to […]
