Gullah-Geechee Corridor resident Taiwan Scott is angry. The South Carolina real estate agent, who focuses on supporting Black property owners, is in a battle with legislators as rising sea levels and more intense and frequent storms imperil Black Americans’ land and heritage across the approximately 12,000 square miles extending from North Carolina to Florida. “Black […]
Supreme Court
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
The Next Big Voting Rights Case to Watch
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday hears oral arguments in a South Carolina case that could make it exceedingly difficult for Black voters to challenge racially discriminatory district maps and limit their ability to elect a representative who might fight for them. Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP is one of the most […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
Tips From a College Admissions Dean on Applying in a Post-Affirmative Action World
The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision on Thursday to gut affirmative action in college admissions has left many Black applicants and their families wondering how to navigate new higher-education terrain. In his opinion for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina’s race-conscious admissions policies “cannot be […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action, a practice that’s opened up higher-education opportunities for Black students for nearly half a century. The decision, which severely limits colleges and universities’ ability to consider race as a factor in admissions, has unsettled civil rights advocates, who now fear for the future of campus […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
What an Affirmative Action Ban Could Mean for College Diversity
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to wipe out affirmative action in higher education any day now. If the erasure of a decades-old precedent occurs, the crucial question will be: How to bolster diversity on college campuses without the help of race-conscious policies? Universities will have to be creative, experts say, and consider approaches that […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Supreme Court Upholds Voting Rights Act in Victory for Black Political Power
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a ruling that protects Black voting power, shocking court watchers who feared that the court’s conservative majority would use the case to further weaken the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In its 5-4 Allen v. Milligan decision, the bench affirmed a lower court ruling that said that Alabama’s […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
This U.S. Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Black Political Power
To read about how the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Allen v. Milligan, check out Capital B’s story here. Allen v. Milligan hasn’t captured quite as much attention as other cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. But the bench’s decision — expected in the coming weeks — could have a seismic impact on Black political […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
The U.S. Supreme Court Seems Ready to Gut Affirmative Action
This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority is anticipated to end affirmative action, which for decades has sought to remedy a bruising legacy of discrimination against marginalized groups, including Black Americans. Nearly 10 years ago, Students for Fair Admissions, an organization headed by Edward Blum, a stockbroker turned conservative legal strategist, filed lawsuits against […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Why Has Qualified Immunity Excused Officers’ Misconduct in Lawsuits for Decades?
Nearly three years after high-profile police-involved deaths of Black people forced more Americans to recognize that police brutality has disproportionately impacted Black communities, qualified immunity continues to be a hot button issue for legislators and police reform advocates. Capital B wanted to better understand how this legal doctrine plays out for Black victims of police […]
Posted inEducation, Student Loans
What We Know About Biden’s Student Loan Debt Relief Plan Ahead of the Supreme Court Hearings
In less than 24 hours, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on President Joe Biden’s $400 billion student loan forgiveness program and consider whether the administration can advance the plan forward. The court agreed to hear two separate cases challenging the legality of Biden’s plan or whether Biden exceeded executive authority. After announcing […]
