Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 382 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Fewer Illinois residents using payday lenders after state capped interest rates

    The Predatory Loan Prevention Act caps loan interest rates at 36%, including all fees. Before the Act passed, rates were extremely high, including 297% for payday loans and 178% for auto-title loans. The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus pushed for the Act to pass in an effort to close the racial wealth gap and address socioeconomic disparities, as these high-interest rates historically affected minority groups.

    Read More

  • How an AP African American studies class helps Brooklyn students engage with history

    The Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women is piloting an AP African American Studies course to broaden the scope of how Black history is taught and discussed in schools. At the Institute of Math and Science, 32 students are taking the course, but nationwide it has expanded to 700 high schools.

    Read More

  • New cannabis dispensaries bring Sacramento closer to reaching social equity goals

    Sacramento’s Cannabis Opportunity and Racial Equity program is helping people who were adversely affected by discrimination during America’s war on drugs to start businesses in the regulated cannabis industry. Qualifying entrepreneurs receive wraparound support including funding and small-business education. So far, 10 dispensary licenses have been awarded to participants.

    Read More

  • How An Englewood Artist And Activist Is Helping Black Families Keep Their Homes

    unBlocked Englewood, in collaboration with the Chicago Bungalow Association, works to help Black people own and keep their longtime homes in their families by addressing the racist practices that prevent Black home ownership and helping provide funds to cover costly home repairs.

    Read More

  • Black Investors Take Back a Legal Tool to Restore Affordable Housing

    The Community Receiver Program works with real estate professionals of color to rehabilitate vacant and foreclosed properties. These properties are then resold to local homebuyers — to preserve generational wealth — or rented out at affordable rates. The program trains people to be community receivers for free, teaching them how to acquire and rehabilitate the buildings, as well as how to leverage grants and local funding programs. Since 2020, the Program has trained about 520 people, rehabilitated 16 buildings and contributed about $4.5 million in restored property value.

    Read More

  • 'She Made Me Feel Seen and Heard.' Black Doulas Offer Support That Can Help Mom & Improve Birth Outcomes

    Doulas are becoming a more widely used resource among pregnant people, particularly Black women who historically face racial inequities during pregnancy and childbirth. Groups like The Doula Network and the Southern Birth Justice Network are working to expand doula services by training and connecting pregnant women with certified doulas. Doula care is more holistic and studies show that women using doulas have about a 65% reduction in their odds of developing postpartum depression or anxiety when a doula is present during labor and delivery.

    Read More

  • Black doulas fight 'staggering' maternal mortality crisis

    The Iowa Black Doula Collective trains doulas to help educate and advocate for Black women during pregnancy and childbirth. Research shows women who work with doulas are less likely to have low birth-weight babies and experience birth complications. Since forming in 2020, the Collective has raised over $200,000 and trained 64 Black doulas.

    Read More

  • Birth can be dismal for Black women. What this hospital is doing to stop that

    In an effort to combat high rates of maternal mortality and healthcare disparities among pregnant Black women, MLK Community Hospital offers combined care from certified nurse midwives and obstetricians to ensure a safe, healthy birth. Midwifery offers more sensitive and individualized care and is also linked to fewer C-sections and preterm births. At MLK Community Hospital, 14% of its first-time, low-risk births involved a C-section, compared to 23% of such births across the state.

    Read More

  • Black students find allies in quest for better mental health: each other

    A summer youth-employment program at a local school district led to a student-led forum where Black high school students could open up about their experiences with mental health, racism and stigma. Students who participated in the forum could also join a peer-mentoring program where students worked with middle schoolers to mentor them on how to understand and cope with their feelings.

    Read More

  • This Oakland climbing group is getting more Black people ‘psyched' about the sport

    The Black Rock Collective strives to build community among both new and experienced Black climbers, providing support, education and friendship within a historically white-dominated sport. Since launching in December 2021, the group has grown to over 80 members. They host meetups three times a month throughout the area and also have a WhatsApp group chat where members can chat and organize climbs.

    Read More