Capital B

Two shootings near HBCUs during homecoming occurred last weekend. For some, the shootings were a call to action to continue to stand against gun violence. https://bit.ly/47HUzhy

Missouri is among the few states to push back against Republican-drawn maps. While some residents see it as a victory, others have been left confused about who they’re able to vote for. https://bit.ly/47IGjVL

Democratic nominee Jamie Davis would make history as the first Black person to hold the U.S. Senate seat from Louisiana since the 1800s. P.B.S. Pinchback, a Black man, was elected in 1873 but was never allowed to take his seat. https://bit.ly/4icBgTL

With the rise of shootings during homecoming at HBCUs, students grapple with a loss of safety and the well-being of institutions historically created to protect them. https://bit.ly/4eMwsSy

From investigations to criminal charges, Black women in elected positions have faced an array of attacks for challenging those in power. https://bit.ly/4kbmJZy

On Nov. 5, join host Niala Boodhoo and reporters @bmietana.bsky.social, @adellembanks.bsky.social, @brandontensley.bsky.social and @russcontreras.bsky.social to break down how religion moved Christian, Muslim and Jewish voters in the 2026 midterms. Register now: riverside.com/webinar/regi...

New polling found that while most Black voters want candidates to address climate change, the cost of living is one of the top issues motivating them to vote. https://bit.ly/4i2dGaE

The Mississippi attorney general ruled that an officer was “justified” in the shooting that killed 1-year-old Kohen Kartier Wiley. https://bit.ly/4eh48YP

A majority Black district that included Memphis was split by Tennessee Republicans. Across the city, organizers are racing to educate and mobilize voters as former political boundaries disappear. https://bit.ly/4sd4sxd

I was recently in Memphis talking with organizers about how they're helping voters to navigate unfamiliar congressional lines after the majority-Black city was cracked earlier this year: capitalbnews.org/memphis-blac...

During homecoming season, students competing for the titles of “Miss” and “Mister” are crowned at more than 90 HBCUs. Several HBCU students shared what earning that title means to them. https://bit.ly/4BgWw1X

Videos show North Carolina A&T students marching about 45 minutes to vote after losing their campus early-voting site. Ahead of the March primaries, A&T students made a similar walk. Texas Southern students did, too. More on HBCU students’ push for voting access, including a permanent site at A&T.

⭐ Our project "Beyond ‘Sinners’: The Stories of Clarksdale, Mississippi" is a 2026 Anthem Award finalist. Reporter Aallyah Wright is also nominated for the Community Voice Award. Voting is open now, click this link to support our work: https://bit.ly/4jn6nNc

Blackouts at Southern University are disrupting classes and campus life, leaving students frustrated that paying for an education doesn’t guarantee the basics. https://bit.ly/4yVHIEA

Hurricane Isaias shows why a quieter hurricane season doesn’t mean a safe one. With warming oceans contributing to stronger storms, hurricane counts alone cannot capture the risks facing Gulf Coast communities. https://bit.ly/3VODxvp

From a comedian-led college tour to public art initiatives, organizations are being creative about civic engagement ahead of the midterms. https://bit.ly/3VIBQ2E

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's home was raided by federal agents in a predawn search Monday. The Democratic congresswoman has been one of the loudest congressional critics of the federal immigration crackdown. https://bit.ly/4hSdWsS

A Kentucky State basketball player was released from ICE custody after two months in detention. https://bit.ly/4dzogVm

On April Fool’s Day last year, Darlene Tart-Scott was laid off from her federal job along with thousands of other Black women. While trying to navigate this derailment, she found strength in her community. https://bit.ly/4e0OGPW

Despite being the “go-to person” in her department, Sharon Davis was fired from her job at the FDA after 24 years of employment. She and more than 95,000 Black women were affected by the massive job cuts led by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. https://bit.ly/4hPDwP3

Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones views the redistricting of Nashville and Memphis as part of a larger struggle over Black voting power. Capital B spoke with Jones about the state's redistricting battles and efforts to better engage young Black men ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Capital B has named award-winning Augusta journalist Renetta DuBose as the founding editor of Capital B Augusta. She will lead Capital B’s newest local newsroom in bringing a fuller picture of Black life in the city. https://bit.ly/4yEtUhx

Darnese Foster was one of the thousands of Black women who lost their jobs when Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency gutted the federal workforce. More than a year later, she is still looking for work to support her family. https://bit.ly/4y624cM

R&B balladeer Freddie Jackson has died, his family announced on Tuesday. Jackson’s silky voice became a staple in Black households, and he scored a string of R&B hits in the 1980s. https://bit.ly/4AQMSmz

After nine months, residents in a South Carolina county stopped a proposal for a massive data center. The settlement protects most of a rural area in Colleton County that had been targeted after a white community rejected a similar project. https://bit.ly/4AODQ9y

Nearly half of Virginians disenfranchised by felony convictions are Black, but a constitutional amendment could overhaul the system. https://bit.ly/4zg4yX9

Black students are demanding accountability from University of North Carolina administrators after a man threatened and yelled racial slurs at students during a watch party. https://bit.ly/46P96HR

A committee crucial for improving access to USDA programs for Black farmers is now frozen under the Trump administration. This isn’t the first time the minority farmers committee has been put on ice. https://bit.ly/3VwcXqI

A new poll reveals 92% of the Black women surveyed were dissatisfied with the country’s direction. Many are motivated to vote to protect their communities and address systemic inequalities. https://bit.ly/3Vl4KFP

Kwaneta Harris ran into roadblock after roadblock when seeking menopause care while incarcerated. She is now filling the gaps for other incarcerated women. https://bit.ly/3TZRs17

As we prepare to launch in Augusta this fall, Capital B surveyed more than 500 residents on what Black Augustans struggle to find and what they want local news to cover. https://bit.ly/4hROYLi

Created to help socially disadvantaged farmers, the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers was halted unexpectedly. Growers are calling on congressional leaders to hold the USDA accountable. https://bit.ly/3VwcXqI

The Legal Defense Fund is calling for accountability in the investigations of suspicious deaths of Black people across the country. Over the past year, at least 10 Black people have been found hanging from trees, with some deaths ruled suicides that families question. https://bit.ly/3SOrltz

HBCUs are set to receive a one-time $174 million boost. The Trump administration says this funding aims to support these institutions as they continue to provide vital educational opportunities. https://bit.ly/3SOrltz

A federal appeals court in Missouri ruled that the state must use a Republican-drawn congressional map in 2025. The new map improves Republicans' chances to win House seats by reshaping the district represented by Black Democrat U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. https://bit.ly/47kINcx

The Trump administration is ending federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. The decision would place the heaviest burden on Black communities, which are often in close proximity to power plants. https://bit.ly/4drCO9q

A grand jury has concluded that there is no evidence to bring charges in Nolan Wells’ death. As family and friends mourn the 18-year-old, supporters continue to push for answers in how he died while on a boat trip with friends. https://bit.ly/4fkVybT

As some Black Floridians face shrinking representation, Angie Nixon wants her peers to get louder. After winning her primary race, Nixon is facing a criminal trial after being arrested during a protest outside Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. https://bit.ly/4AkpE8d

A growing number of Black boys and young men have stepped into the role of caregiver. Most don’t know or consider themselves “youth caregivers.” They’re just “good” sons and grandchildren. https://bit.ly/4xCDiAF

Wanda Sims Watters was raised in Decatur's close-knit Beacon Hill community. Watters and her siblings became some of the first Black students to attend the city's formerly all-white schools. https://bit.ly/4hgCmft

For many of the Black Congress members gathering this week, the political power they’ve spent years amassing for their communities back home is in doubt. https://bit.ly/4dnnVVy

Black voting power is under threat, and inside the annual gathering of the Congressional Black Caucus, members are mapping out a strategy ahead of the midterms. My dispatch: capitalbnews.org/how-the-cong...

A Texas woman’s family is suing doctors and state officials after she died when unable to get an abortion. It is the first lawsuit over a death linked to an abortion ban. https://bit.ly/4hb57tY

A new California law could put money directly into the hands of families harmed by oil drilling, testing an approach advocates hope will spread nationwide. https://bit.ly/4xqDFOE

Northwestern University is restructuring its African Studies program, cutting two staff positions. They are the latest university to restructure its program as the Trump administration continues to target DEI in higher education. https://bit.ly/4xVrElo

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the hanging death of Tasia Fortune. The young mother’s death was ruled a homicide nearly a month after her body was found in a vacant home. https://bit.ly/4gaIGV7

Years after a water crisis rocked Jackson, Mississippi, the court finds that residents have no constitutional right to clean and safe drinking water. https://bit.ly/3SJts1P

On 9/11, Nia Gilliam was a co-pilot preparing for takeoff when she saw a plane hit the South Tower. In her new memoir, she details her traumatic experience and the purpose she’s found in helping the next generation of Black women and girls in aviation. https://bit.ly/4ywdhE4

The EPA plans to remove a requirement for public input on air-pollution permits for data centers. The proposal’s lack of transparency may worsen health risks, increase utility bills, and contribute to community displacement. https://bit.ly/4j2f0fM

At least 10 Black people have been found hanging from trees over the past year, with some deaths ruled suicides. Many Black families and observers questioned the investigations, with some reminded of the history of racial violence in the U.S. https://bit.ly/3SOrltz