By Blake Farmer, Word In Black Medical equipment is still strewn around the house of Rick Lucas, 62, nearly two years after he came home from the hospital. He picks up a spirometer, a device that measures lung capacity, and takes a deep breath — though not as deep as he’d like. Still, Lucas has […]
Author Archives: Word in Black
Posted inCommentary
Dear Black America: stop accepting equitable and demand equity
By Khalid Rudo Smith, Word in Black For some time, we’ve all held our breath as a tech billionaire, who made questionable moral compass attempts in the past, has purchased Twitter — one of the most important free speech platforms on the planet. Many, particularly in the Black community, have seen far more hate speech, […]
Posted inCommentary
Social media and Black youth: can positive affirmations curb the impact?
By Megan Kirk, Word in Black Social media has changed the landscape of the world and some believe it’s not for the greater good. While social media provides an outlet for the stressors of life, it is also a platform for overstimulation. Adults, teens, and children alike have witnessed the perils of social media and […]
Posted inWord In Black
Black college students lead movement to eliminate bias in tech
By Nadira Johnson, Word in Black From self-driving cars that can’t detect folks with darker skin to keep from running them over, to digital assistants like Siri that have trouble understanding non-White accents, technology is biased and it is hurting Black folks. “A lot of people will look toward technology as the end all, be […]
Posted inWord In Black
Shopping for ACA health insurance? Here’s what’s new this year
By Julie Appleby, Word in Black It’s fall again, meaning shorter days, cooler temperatures, and open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance — sign-ups begin this week for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2023. Even though much of the coverage stays the same from year to year, there are a few upcoming changes that […]
Posted inWord In Black
It takes money to end the HIV epidemic among Black women
By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black Data show the HIV epidemic affects Black women at strikingly high rates, but Black women working in public health still struggle to access funds for prevention and treatment. Closing that HIV funding gap is one of the goals of ViiV Healthcare — a pharmaceutical company that creates medicines and […]
Posted inWord In Black
This Is Where Black Americans Live Longest
by Alexa Spencer It turns out Wakanda — a place full of Black wealth, health, and longevity — isn’t just a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It turns out a place that enables Black folks to thrive actually does exist in real life. That’s the finding of a team of researchers who’ve partnered to tell a much […]
Posted inWord In Black
#Faithworks: Meet the Faith-Based Group Mobilizing Black Muslims to Vote
Black people make up 20% of the overall Muslim population in the United States — and organizations like North Carolina’s Muslim Women For are inspiring them to create change. by Nadira Jamerson, Word In Black This is the first story of a series that spotlights the influence of religion in the Black community and the […]
Posted inWord In Black
High schoolers launch civil rights tour app
By Word in Black Two Washington, D.C.-area high school students have created an interactive app that highlights the history of civil rights in the District. Lily and Eliza Dorton, co-founders of the DC Civil Rights Tour app, have an instrument providing an easy way for residents and tourists to learn more about the civil rights […]
Posted inWord In Black
Books by Black authors to add to your 2022 reading list
By Word In Black Malcolm X once said that “I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity” — and at Word In Black, we agree. With book bans sweeping the nation, we’re reminded of how our ancestors fought and died for the right to read. Nowadays, due to inequities in […]
Posted inHealth
The power of music in fighting Alzheimer’s symptoms
By Word In Black It’s no question that at some point in your life, you’ve had a song melody stuck in your head. Maybe you were at a family gathering, and The Wiz was on the TV. Or perhaps you were cleaning out your car and found an old cassette tape. Studies show that music […]
Posted inWord In Black
Advocating for LGBTQ+ elders
By Tandy Lau, Word In Black The first time Ty Martin stepped into the newly built Whole Foods on 125th and Malcolm X Boulevard, he thought he was in Chelsea on account of the grand assortment of young, gay White men present. Harlem certainly looks different from his childhood days. Martin, 74, grew up in […]
