Word In Black’s national survey of over 1,500 Black Americans reveals that medical mistrust, family concerns, and experiences with the healthcare system shape decisions about organ donation, highlighting the need for culturally responsive outreach, policy, and care.
Tag: Black Americans
Posted inWord In Black
Changing the story data tells about Black health
Word In Black has launched an Insights and Research Division to center the lived experiences of Black Americans and use community-driven data to reshape narratives about persistent health disparities. Its first study on organ donation reveals strong theoretical support but deep mistrust of the healthcare system, and the team is now turning to breast cancer to examine how bias, access and culture affect Black women’s outcomes.
Posted inAfro Briefs
Ending tax refunds by check speeds payments, but what about people without bank accounts?
By Beverly MoranThe Conversation More than 6 million Americans receive paper tax refund checks annually. Often, those refunds go to purchase groceries or pay the bills. But this year, those taxpayers may be surprised to learn that the paper check they’re waiting for no longer exists. That’s because of executive order 14247, which President Donald […]
Posted inWord In Black
Racial healing in Black America: What the data tells us
A new Word In Black survey explores how Black Americans define racial healing and what stands in the way of achieving it, providing a data-driven account of the current state of racial healing in the US.
Posted inBUSINESS
AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: How Kaci Patterson advances Dr. King’s legacy through equity-driven change
Communities nationwide continue to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through service, faith and advocacy. Today’s leaders and organizations are expanding his vision through action, equity and community-building.
Posted inOpinion
This is the America Black people have always known
The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by federal agents in Minneapolis underscores what Black Americans have long known: state violence rooted in White supremacy is not an aberration but a defining feature of American power. As outrage grows, the piece argues that moral clarity, collective care, and refusal to accept cruelty as inevitable are essential responses to a system that only feels shocking when it harms those previously shielded by privilege.
Posted inOPINION
Protect our gains: Why the Black community must fight to save ACA subsidies
By Rev. Stacy Swimp The enhanced health insurance subsidies, set to expire at the end of 2025, represent a direct threat to the financial and health stability of Black Americans. While the crisis affects all races, the consequences for the Black community will be disproportionate and severe, effectively rolling back historic progress in health equity. […]
Posted inMaryland News
Maryland lawmakers launch bid to slash the cost of asthma treatments
Maryland Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks are advancing legislation designed to bring down the soaring cost of inhalers, nebulizers and other essential respiratory treatments. Their proposal would cap monthly expenses for insured and uninsured patients alike, expanding Medicare coverage and easing the financial strain on families managing asthma. The lawmakers say the measure is urgently needed as hospitalizations and racial disparities in respiratory illness continue to climb.
Posted inOPINION
Hidden in code: How tech reinvents Jim Crow barriers to housing
By Alice T. Crowe Black Americans have struggled to build wealth in America through property ownership. Owning land meant freedom. Government policies like redlining and restrictive covenants cheated Black families and communities out of wealth. Jim Crow’s color-coded paper maps were just one ruse in a trick bag of tactics used to normalize segregation and […]
Posted inWord In Black
Editorial: The right to vote is on trial… again
AFRO CEO and Publisher Frances “Toni” Draper warns that the right to vote is once again under threat as the Supreme Court reviews a case that could weaken the Voting Rights Act. She calls on all Americans to stay vigilant, reminding readers that protecting democracy demands courage, participation, and collective responsibility.
Posted inHealth
Community views sought on organ donation and transplantation survey
Community members are encouraged to share their perspectives on organ donation and transplantation through a new Word In Black survey, which seeks to address disparities affecting Black patients and families.
Posted inOpinion
What do Black Americans have to lose under the 47th president? Everything
Angela Hanks and Jeremy Edwards of The Century Foundation argue that while the 47th president once asked Black voters “What do you have to lose?”, his current presidency has left them with worsening unemployment, rising debt and greater economic vulnerability. They warn that Trump’s economic and social policies — from tariffs to cuts in healthcare, education, and food assistance — are disproportionately harming Black Americans and risk eroding hard-won progress.
