By Anissa Durham, Word In Black No one is coming to save them. It should be no surprise families with chronically ill children are behind on rent. They are behind on bills. After all, the United States is the only wealthy nation without guaranteed universal health coverage. Our system simply isn’t set up to save […]
Author Archives: Word in Black
Researchers announce plan to end HIV in Black America
By Alexa Spencer, Word In Black Not enough has been done to end the HIV epidemic in Black America. That’s what Danielle Campbell, a researcher at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and member of PrEP in Black America (PIBA), believes. She’s worked to end HIV for over a decade. That’s long enough to see […]
Top 5 memorable Black educators in TV and Film
By Laura Onyeneho, Word in Black As Black History continues to be under attack in public schools nationwide, it is difficult to ignore the plight of Black educators. Not only are they constantly under pressure to do their jobs, they also have to do them while trying to keep a positive attitude and elevating the […]
NFL has been slow to embrace mental health support for players
By Mark Kreidler, Word In Black When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field in the middle of the “Monday Night Football” game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2, Carrie Hastings, half a continent away, understood what she needed to do — and right away. “I had a few guys […]
The HBCU dilemma: is it okay to air our dirty laundry?
By Tashala K. Quick, Word In Black “What goes on in this house, stays in this house!” As a child, I knew this meant I was not supposed to share the inner happenings of our household to just anyone. When folks outside our family inquired about something as simple as what I had for dinner, […]
Federal government invests $245 million into mental health
By Alexa Spencer, Word In Black As the country reckons with the psychological impact of an ongoing pandemic and back-to-back mass shootings, the federal government is releasing $245 million toward the mental health needs of Americans. Announced in January 2023 as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the funding aims to help healthcare providers, […]
Psst, College Board: we see you’re not defending AP African American Studies
By Nicole Tucker-Smith, Word In Black The Florida Department of Education’s recent decision to reject the AP (Advanced Placement) African American Studies course is deliberately divisive. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, knows how to stoke sentiment. The current media attention is only energizing his base and bolstering his, yet to be announced, presidential bid. DeSantis’ […]
Florida to Black People: We’re Not Teaching Your History
by Aziah Siid The Florida Department of Education officially launched its 2023 Black History Month Student and Educator Contests with the theme of celebrating the achievements of African American Floridians. In the same breath, they’ve rejected the College Board’s AP African American course for high school students. On Jan. 19, news broke that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ […]
It’s time to know the true history of Dr. King and Native Americans
By David Carr, Word in Black On Jan. 16, the United States celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s birthday and paid homage to the civil rights leader who helped move the nation to live up to its potential. While much has been written about King’s community organizing, his guidance in the Southern Leadership Conference, and […]
Opinion: Dear Black America: You Should Be Paying Attention to Africa
By Patrick Washington, Word in Black In the last month of 2022, The United States hosted the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The goal of this summit was to expand relations between the U.S. and the continent of Africa. Well, really, it’s because China is kicking ass in diplomatic, economic, and virtually every other major area in Africa’s […]
Breaking the School-to-Prison Cycle of Kids with Disabilities
By Aziah Siid, Word in Black Whether it’s autism or dyslexia, emotional disturbances, or a hearing impairment, it’s easy for students with disabilities to get lost in the classroom. As a result, they might behave in ways their teachers and peers don’t understand — and their teacher may lack the training, or empathy, to meet their […]
Word In Black expands staff with $1M in new funding from Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
By LMA Staff Word In Black, a groundbreaking collaboration of the nation’s leading Black publishers and a program of Local Media Foundation, has received $1 million from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to establish a climate justice desk and fund several other journalist positions for the next two years. This funding will enable Word In […]

