For millions in the South, an impending storm could become unforgettable. “I can’t stop watching the forecasts,” said Shemekia Stringer, speaking by phone Thursday afternoon as she moved through near-empty aisles at a Walmart in Southaven, Mississippi, just outside of Memphis, Tennessee. “I’m trying to make sure we’re fully prepared. In my area, the map […]
Texas
Posted inMaternal Health
This Texas County Is the Deadliest Place in the U.S. for Black Mothers to Give Birth
This article was produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s National Fellowship Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism and the Fund for Reporting on Child Well-being. HOUSTON — By the third trimester of an already difficult pregnancy, Moriah Ballard faced two new complications: relentless headaches and dizziness. Over the […]
Posted inPartner Content, Politics & Policy
Rep. Jasmine Crockett Enters Texas Senate Race as Allred Exits
This story was originally reported by Grace Panetta of The 19th. Meet Grace and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. A barn-burner of a race for U.S. Senate is underway in Texas. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a firebrand progressive Democrat who represents a Dallas-area district, filed paperwork to enter the race Monday, […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Partner Content, Reproductive Health
‘Ticking Time Bomb’: A Pregnant Mother Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas.
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Tierra Walker had reached her limit. In the weeks since she’d learned she was pregnant, the 37-year-old dental assistant had been wracked by unexplained seizures and mostly confined to a hospital cot. With soaring blood pressure and diabetes, she knew she was at high risk of developing preeclampsia, […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
This District Built On Civil Rights Legacy Has Gone Months Without Representation
Uncertainty continues to hang over Texas’ 18th Congressional District. No single candidate secured 50% of the vote in the Nov. 4 special election, meaning that the race is heading to a runoff. The top two vote-getters — Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards — will compete at a date […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Texas Rep. Stays Overnight in Chamber to Oppose Map She Says Hurts Black, Latino Voters
The redistricting battle in Texas has taken a turn. After state House Democrats returned from their walkout, they were informed on Monday that they would need a police escort when they leave the chamber floor in order to prevent them from fleeing the state again before the House reconvenes on Wednesday. State Rep. Nicole Collier, […]
Posted inEducation, Federal Overhaul, Politics & Policy
Shuttering Civil Rights Offices Could Affect Students’ Ability to Address Discrimination
Federal Overhaul is a multipart series that explores the impact of the Trump administration’s restructuring of the federal government on Black communities. Black teenager Ja’Liyah Celestine said that last year at her Texas high school, an officer pepper-sprayed her, grabbed her by hair, and kneed her in her face. A federal civil rights complaint was […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, History
Texas Man’s Fight to Move a Lynching Marker Sparks New Battle for Truth
CENTER, Texas — As Delbert Jackson turned right onto the clean, sandy-paved stretch of Martin Luther King Drive, his chin lifted with quiet pride. The road’s upkeep is due in large part to Jackson, who leads regular community cleanups in the city. On this humid and sunny morning in early June, something felt a bit […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice, Politics & Policy
Trump Is Giving 500+ Plants a Pass to Pollute More. Is Your Home at Risk?
Imagine if the billion-dollar companies that run oil refineries or chemical plants could ask the government for permission to spew more pollution into the air with less hassle than it takes to renew your driver’s license. That’s now a reality. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has created a shortcut for fossil fuel and chemical […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Living in Industry’s Shadow: How Black Communities Are Left Behind by EPA Cuts
From Gary, Indiana’s steel mills to the oil refineries of Beaumont, Texas, and the toxic waste sites in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point, Black communities across the country are living with the harsh realities of industrial pollution. As the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations are rolled back, efforts to address these toxic hazards in these areas […]
