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 […]
georgia
Posted inAugusta, Education, Elections, K-12
What Black Augusta Voters Want from Their School Board
Augustans are choosing who they want to represent them on the Richmond County school board this election season, in one of the most important races on the ballot. Despite some performance issues, students throughout the school district continue to improve academically. From graduation rates to standardized tests, Richmond County School System has recorded gains in […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Barack Obama Backs Keisha Lance Bottoms for Georgia Governor
Barack Obama has endorsed Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia’s heated governor’s race — and he wants Peach State voters to do the same. The nation’s first Black president issued a video endorsement Wednesday night in support of the Democratic nominee vying to become America’s first Black woman governor. During the 54-second clip, Obama calls on Georgia […]
Posted inInside Capital B
Capital B Augusta Names Renetta DuBose Founding Editor
AUGUSTA, Georgia — Augusta is gaining a new newsroom, a new source for community-centered journalism, and a familiar voice to help lead it. Capital B has named award-winning Augusta journalist Renetta DuBose as the founding editor of Capital B Augusta, its newest local newsroom. Known to audiences throughout the region thanks to her 10 years […]
Posted inCulture, Public Safety
Black Women Are Joining Gun Groups in Atlanta Amid Political Tensions
The sporadic “pop!” of gunfire pierced the cool autumn air for hours at the South River Gun Club in Covington on Sept. 26 as Shante Stewart and her classmates took aim. Gold bullet casings decorated the gravel beneath their feet as the students lined up their shots. The targets were fluorescent orange sporting clays set […]
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 inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Georgia Republicans Back Away From Redistricting Plan After Outcry
Efforts to begin redrawing Georgia’s voting district maps through a special session of the General Assembly have been canceled. The Republicans’ plan, which many feared would disenfranchise Black and brown voters, had already sparked multiple protests Wednesday at the Georgia State Capitol. “Changes to Georgia’s maps should take place only when members of the General […]
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, Rural Issues
Sapelo Island Residents Won a Major Vote, but Their Fight Continues
Sometimes, Josiah “Jazz” Watts can’t remember a time when he and other Gullah Geechee descendants weren’t fighting for their homeland. It’s been four months since McIntosh County, Georgia, voters overwhelmingly rejected a zoning ordinance that could have resulted in higher taxes, attracted more developers, harmed local businesses, and led to Geechee displacement. The January referendum […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Rural Issues
Railroad Wins Appeal to Take Generations-Old Land in Rural Georgia
Months ago, Blaine Smith was afraid that the Georgia Court of Appeals would allow a railroad company to seize part of his family’s generations-old land. That fear came true Wednesday when the court upheld a lower court’s decision to let Sandersville Railroad exercise eminent domain to take properties from several landowners in Sparta, Georgia, to […]
