This article was originally published by Healthbeat, a nonprofit newsroom covering public health published by Civic News Company and KFF Health News. Aaliyah Taylor, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, is used to having more responsibilities than a typical teenager. She helped her dad feed and tend to her grandmother until she died in 2023, tasks […]
Atlanta
Posted inHigher Education, Politics & Policy
Morehouse Confronts Potential Threat of ICE Arrival on Campus
Morehouse College freshman Adrian “Panama” Malvaez said he can still picture the horrific dream from earlier this year in which, on a typical day of working in his school’s dining hall, he was abruptly taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “Everyone was like, ‘Wait, no, no, don’t take Panama!’” the 18-year-old […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Black Immigrants in Atlanta Mobilize Amid Rising Deportation Threats
A small group of Black Atlanta immigrants listened intently last month as Uzo Akpele shared guidance on how to navigate the heightened threat of detention and deportation under a second President Donald Trump administration. “If you are undocumented, you should have a plan in place for if you get detained,” the Nigerian immigration lawyer told […]
Posted inCity Politics, Politics & Policy
Is a Second Andre Dickens Term Inevitable?
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens officially launched his reelection bid on Tuesday, but even he’s not sure who’s running against him. “Without any opponents yet, is this all for show?” Dickens told hundreds of supporters early Tuesday evening at a campaign kickoff party inside the Monday Night Brewing location in the West End. The 50-year-old former […]
Posted inHousing, Local Politics, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Atlanta Residents’ Calls for Rent Control Ignored by Lawmakers
Atlanta Housing Justice League Executive Director Alison Johnson expressed anger and regret on Monday after bills backed by her organization failed to advance before the legislature’s Thursday Crossover Day deadline. Failure to pass related bills in the state House or the state Senate by the end of Crossover Day means it’s unlikely Georgia’s legislature will pass […]
Posted inHealth
Childhood Trauma in Black Women Can Hurt Their Heart, Emory Study Finds
This story was originally published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The heart remembers, at least when it comes to Black women who experience trauma or abuse as children, according to newly released research by Emory University. Childhood exposure to trauma, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse may lead to heart disease in Black women, the new study […]
Posted inEducation
Republicans Pull the Plug on Senate Bill Banning DEI in Georgia Schools — for Now
Georgia Democrats celebrated late Thursday night after state Senate Republicans tabled a bill that would’ve pulled government funding from public schools and colleges that maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Senate Bill 120 made headlines earlier this week after it advanced out of committee, sparking fears among some that initiatives aimed at increasing and promoting […]
Posted inHousing, Politics & Policy, State Politics
The Rent Is Too Damn High. Will Georgia Lawmakers Do Anything About It?
Black Atlantans and housing justice advocates have spent the past few years begging state lawmakers to do more to address housing-related issues like affordable housing shortages, rising rents, and low levels of homeownership among Black families. In response, Georgia Democrats — who had difficulty turning out Black voters in November — made addressing housing issues […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services, State Politics
What Georgia Lawmakers Are Doing About Your Sky-High Utility Bills
Ariana Brazier is sick of paying sky-high light bills. The 31-year-old Decatur resident said she’s seen her Georgia Power electric bill surge from about $90 a month in 2023 to roughly $300 a month this year. The added financial stress has left her in a “constant panic” over ways to reduce her expenses. She’s one […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice
School Safety Bill SB 61 May Send More Black Kids to Adult Court
A school safety bill introduced in response to the Apalachee High School shooting in September got a major change after advocates warned that it would unfairly criminalize children. Senate Bill 61, authored by state Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Forsyth County, was initially written to add both terroristic acts and terroristic threats against a […]