By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier, and Alexa Spencer, Word in Black Glowing in custom Gucci, tennis icon Serena Williams revealed her second pregnancy at the Met Gala in New York City on May 1, sparking well-wishes and congratulations from her fellow celebs and fans worldwide. Yet, behind the joyous news, there’s also worry. Williams’ last journey to […]
Author Archives: Word in Black
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Jordan Neely: from Michael Jackson impersonator to hashtag
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier, Word in Black Remember the lyrics to “Empire State of Mind?” How Jay Z raps, “Street lights, big dreams, all lookin’ pretty.” 30-year-old Jordan Neely, a talented former Michael Jackson impersonator who used to be found — in full MJ regalia — moonwalking on the subway and in Times Square, surely had […]
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Black women are more likely to be breadwinners- that’s not a bad thing
By Bria Overs, Word in Black In 1972, men were the primary or sole breadwinners in 85 percent of opposite-sex marriages. Things have changed drastically 50 years later. Today, according to new research from the Pew Research Center, husbands are the sole or primary breadwinners in 55 percent of marriages. The change over several decades […]
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Only three percent of golfers in the U.S. are Black, this program gives kids a shot at the sport
By Aziah Siid, Word in Black Golf, like many sports, is riddled with a long history of systemic racism, which has contributed to a significant lack of representation of Black players. The numbers speak for themselves: of the roughly 24 million recreational golfers in the United States, only 3 percent are Black, and a mere […]
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Five ways you can use less plastic
By Anissa Durham, Word in Black You probably don’t notice, but every time you inhale, you are breathing in plastic. The production of plastic has exponentially increased in the last two decades. So much so that, globally, 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced every year. Because plastic does not decompose, all plastic that […]
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Commentary: Air pollution impacts us all — but not equally
By Margot Brown, Word in Black Access to clean air is a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to clean air. Across the U.S., air pollution threatens the health and safety of millions of Americans, and those threats are not felt equally. Your race or zip code should not determine your life expectancy […]
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How maternity care deserts put Black moms at risk
By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black “I don’t want to die.” That’s what a pregnant Black woman told Adriana Hawkins-Smith, a doula serving McComb, Miss. during a prenatal visit last year. The two met up over coffee to discuss birth plans when the mother’s fear bubbled to the surface. The expectant mom was afraid of […]
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With Carolyn Bryant’s death, where is justice for Emmett Till?
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier, Word in Black Emmet Till deserved to grow old. If he hadn’t been murdered in Money, Mississippi, on August 28, 1955 — if he had lived long enough to develop wrinkles and gray hair, and bounce his children, grandchildren, and possibly his great-grandchildren on his knees — he might have celebrated his […]
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Supreme Court’s latest decision on student loans brings relief to some
By Bria Overs, Word in Black For some borrowers nationwide, student loan payments may soon be a thing of the past. That’s because recently, the Supreme Court declined to block a class action lawsuit against predatory for-profit colleges and vocational schools. The decision allows a nearly $6 billion legal settlement to move forward and allows […]
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Paying down debt doesn’t have to overwhelm you
By Word In Black Staff Why is it so easy to get into debt and so hard to find your way out? And why does trying to manage debt often feel so overwhelming? A growing number of consumers are facing this challenge. American household debt increased by $34 billion last year, with 18.3 million borrowers […]
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U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona fires back at push to dismiss Black studies
By Andre Ash, Word in Black Miguel Cardona, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, wrote an opinion column in the Tampa Bay Times, calling to “enrich public schools, not ban books and topics.” Secretary Cardona laid out a number of ideas for how to proceed with the evolution of public education as how and […]
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Want Black boys to achieve? Create space for them to heal
By Aziah Siid, Word in Black Picture a space full of Brown and Black skin — tears flowing as teens and men embrace one another, heal from their past traumas and have a multi-generational conversation about who they are and who they want to be. That’s what both adults and students who participate in programming […]