This story was produced in partnership with Vox as part of the discrimination issue of The Highlight. When a Nevada police officer pulled over Leisa Moseley-Sayles in 2010, she was new to Las Vegas. She was getting a divorce and going through a custody battle, raising four young children, and working on a political campaign. Money was tight. […]
racism
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
Racism’s Relentless Toll on Black Health in America
This story was produced in partnership with Vox as part of the discrimination issue of The Highlight. OAKLAND, Calif. — On most warm days, Stephanie McWoods catches the California breeze with the bubble wand she keeps on her patio. Sometimes, the bubbles float, then burst midair. Other times, when they don’t pop, it is unclear how many miles […]
Posted inEconomy, Money, Partner Content
Discrimination Isn’t Just Infuriating. It Steals Black People’s Time.
This story was produced in partnership with Vox as part of the discrimination issue of The Highlight. After a long search, Keisha Orr — a human resources manager working on Wall Street in the early 2000s — believed she had found the perfect candidate for a job at her financial tech company. The applicant had it all: an […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
The Thwarted Promise of Black Women Prosecutors
When Kimberly M. Foxx was sworn in as the first Black woman in Illinois to lead the Cook County attorney’s office in 2016, she also joined the “Sisters Circle” with 20 other Black female prosecutors. Over Foxx’s two terms, she has seen the support group’s numbers fluctuate – yet members’ concerns remain the same. “In […]
Posted inTransportation
The Movement to Make Black Neighborhoods Better for Walking and Biking
Dijon Kizzee’s last living act was riding his bike on the wrong side of a residential road in Westmont, Los Angeles’ poorest neighborhood. In Black neighborhoods where car congestion is routine, protected bike lanes are lacking, and blocked sidewalks are expected, riding on the sidewalk or against traffic is a regular practice. It’s used as […]
Posted inBlack Farmers, Rural Issues
Black Farmers Refuse to Back Down After Federal Judge Dismisses Suit
Farmers of color plan to appeal a recent federal court judge’s ruling, which they say is a continuation of Jim Crow and erases their commitment to right the historical wrongs against them. Six months ago, John Boyd Jr., Kara Boyd, Lester Bonner, and Princess Williams filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. government, including the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
Shooting of Black Teen Is a Symptom of Kansas City’s Racist History
Alvin Brooks remembers growing up as the only Black kid in an all white, but poor white, Leeds-Dunbar neighborhood during the 1940s in Kansas City, Missouri. Although he made friends, he was reminded that in other parts of the city he was not welcome. Sometimes the streetcar’s white motorman charged him a nickel to board […]
Posted inRural Issues
The Movement to Stop Dollar Stores From Suffocating Black Communities
For years, the Rev. Donald Perryman wondered why the formerly thriving Black downtown of Toledo, Ohio, couldn’t get a grocery store. His suspicions were confirmed after a city study found in 2020 that the opening of new Dollar General stores drove other companies out of business, deterring potential grocers from investing there. He, along with […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Water Quality
Alabama Discriminated Against Black Residents, Feds Confirm
For the first time in U.S. history, the Justice Department has concluded an environmental justice inquiry through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, determining that the state of Alabama and Lowndes County discriminated against Black residents for decades. The findings from the investigation have led to an agreement involving the Alabama Department of Public Health […]
Posted inMoney, The Workplace
Black People Still Experience Racial Bias in the Hiring Process. Can AI Help?
While more than half of U.S. adults agree that artificial intelligence technology could help improve racial bias in the hiring process, Black Americans are more skeptical, a recent report found. About 47% of Black people who see racial bias in hiring as an issue agree that AI could improve the process, versus 64% of Asian […]