Author | Lightnews

Victoria St. Martin @victoriastmartin.bsky.social · 2d

For those of us with Caribbean roots, seeing the damage from Hurricane Melissa hits especially hard. Privileged to talk to organizers in Jamaica who are already looking ahead. @adamlmahoney.bsky.social @capitalb.bsky.social
capitalbnews.org/hurricane-me...

Jamaican Americans Mobilize After the Island's Worst Hurricane in a Century

It is unknown how long it could take the island to recover from the storm, one of the strongest storms on record in the Atlantic.

capitalbnews.org

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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 11d

“They basically told me you can keep doing your job the way we want you to do it, without the chair or without the breaks, or you can go on unpaid leave.”

A pregnant Amazon employee asked for a chair to sit on—and wound up homeless

"You're just a number to them."

www.motherjones.com

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Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 14d

Michael Days, a pillar of Philadelphia journalism who championed young Black journalists and was beloved among reporters who worked for him at the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer, died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 72 in Trenton.

Michael Days, pioneering journalist who led the Philadelphia Daily News during its 2010 Pulitzer Prize win for investigative reporting, has died at 72

Days was a mentor to countless young journalists and was president of the National Association of Black Journalists-Philadelphia.

www.inquirer.com

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adam mahoney (he/him) @adamlmahoney.bsky.social · 19d

Last month, I sat w/ Leon on the year anniversary of his release from prison. On his table, he had a certificate from his congressperson—which he laminated himself—as he explained to me the process of photovoltaic power & what it meant to him to finally be supported.
capitalbnews.org/solar-jobs-h...

Incarcerated Texans Rebuild Their Lives Through This Rooftop Solar Program

Houston’s Fifth Ward harnesses the sun to power homes and new beginnings for returning citizens as federal support for climate justice programs wavers.

capitalbnews.org

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Reposted by Victoria St. Martin

Alecia 🌻 @aleciareports.bsky.social · 16d

This started as a story about education programs impacted by the shutdown. It turned into a stark warning from experts: if this continues, the consequences could be far worse.

capitalbnews.org/government-s...

Federal Layoffs Put Head Start, FAFSA, and Civil Rights Investigations at Risk

As the government shutdown continues into its third week, more Department of Education workers were terminated.

capitalbnews.org

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adam mahoney (he/him) @adamlmahoney.bsky.social · Sep 10

I spent six months walking the Lower Ninth Ward, speaking w/ dozens of neighbors, + combing through 6,000 pages of FOIA docs. My latest reveals what recent documentaries left out. If Katrina’s legacy moved you, don’t miss what’s happening to the community now capitalbnews.org/katrina-anni...

How a $5 Billion Federal Project Could Sink the Lower Ninth Ward For Good

Decades after Betsy and Katrina, the community faces another threat — a canal proposal promising “progress” that could threaten its survival.

capitalbnews.org

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Victoria St. Martin @victoriastmartin.bsky.social · Sep 15

I work at @capitalb.bsky.social because Black communities deserve reporting that doesn’t just document problems — but also highlights the people and strategies building a better future.

Please help us raise money for our work: capitalbnews.org/donate

Man stands with folded arms and said he is fighting for the return of his ancestral land in Harris Neck, Georgia

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ProPublica @propublica.org · Aug 25

NEW: Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that non-unanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional.

But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — “tough on crime” state leaders have ensured that doesn’t change anything.

By @richardawebster.bsky.social‬ @veritenews.org‬

An Unconstitutional “Jim Crow Jury” Sent Him to Prison for Life. A New Law Aims to Keep Him There.

Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — “tough on crime” state leaders have ensured t...

www.propublica.org

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Amanda Becker @amandabecker.bsky.social · Aug 22

Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low:
“Mayor Bowser better get her act straight or she won’t be mayor very long because we’ll take it over with the federal government,” Trump said from the Oval Office on Friday, calling the city a “crime-infested rat hole.” 19thnews.org/2025/08/blac...

Cities led by Black women are the first targets of Trump's political power grab

“This is in many ways a political warning, a political message, to say to these Black women and other Black mayors and other women of color mayors, ‘Your leadership can be challenged, too.’”

19thnews.org

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Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · Aug 13

With a Polaroid and handmade backdrops, Polo Silk documented thousands of moments of Black New Orleans life before Katrina reshaped the city.

How Photography Saved a Lost Chapter of Pre-Katrina Black New Orleans

With a Polaroid and handmade backdrops, Polo Silk documented thousands of moments of Black New Orleans life before Katrina reshaped the city.

capitalbnews.org

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Reposted by Victoria St. Martin

Mike Elsen-Rooney @michaelelsenroo.bsky.social · Aug 13

For 6 months, I’ve followed ELLIS, a Bronx HS for newcomers, to understand what it means to educate immigrant students in Trump’s second term.

Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive.

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

‘They’ve given her a lot of hope’: A NYC school fights to educate an undocumented teen under Trump

For Bridget and Marta, ELLIS Prep often felt like the only public institution with its arms open in a city and country that seemed not to want them.

www.chalkbeat.org

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 8

The world's highest court declared greenhouse gas emissions a human rights violation. A week later, the EPA said it plans to rescind the government's legal assertion that GHGs endanger the public. America's most catastrophic form of exceptionalism. A gift link: www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

America Is Living in a Climate-Denial Fantasy

On climate, the U.S. and the rest of the planet are now in “completely separate worlds.”

www.theatlantic.com

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Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · Aug 8

Advocates and experts warn that the rollbacks could have a drastic impact on public health in Black communities. capitalbnews.org/medicaid-cut...

Medicaid Cuts Endanger Life-Saving Care for Black Families in Rural America

Advocates and experts warn that the rollbacks could have a drastic impact on public health in Black communities.

capitalbnews.org

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Reposted by Victoria St. Martin

adam mahoney (he/him) @adamlmahoney.bsky.social · Jul 31

NEW: August marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, but its shadow is still cast over Black New Orleanians.

New Orleanians are more vulnerable to “deaths of despair” than 99% of the U.S., as Black residents navigate hopelessness in the face of neglect.
capitalbnews.org/hurricane-ka...

20 Years After Katrina, Louisiana Residents Are Most Vulnerable to 'Die of Despair'

Today, Louisiana residents are the nation's most vulnerable to 'deaths of despair' as Black New Orleanians navigate hopelessness after Hurricane Katrina.

capitalbnews.org

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adam mahoney (he/him) @adamlmahoney.bsky.social · Jul 30

NEW: As nearly two-thirds of the U.S. sweltered under extreme heat advisories on Tuesday, the U.S. government announced plans to erase the scientific and legal backbone that empowers the EPA to take action against planet-warming pollution. capitalbnews.org/trump-epa-en...

Black Neighborhoods At Risk As US Pushes to Cancel Important Climate Protection

Black communities brace for fallout after Trump revokes core safeguard that outlined pollution’s impact on nature and humans.

capitalbnews.org

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Capital B Atlanta @capitalbatl.bsky.social · Jul 14

Stylish attendees in Atlanta elevated the call for red, white and blue all over, complete with pageant sashes and structured cowgirl hats reminiscent of those Beyonce has worn on stage and while promoting “Cowboy Carter.”

Beyonce Inspires Cowboy Carter Fans to Remix Patriotic Symbols

Photo gallery shows how concertgoers in Atlanta reimagined traditional American symbols to make them their own.

atlanta.capitalbnews.org

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USC Center for Health Journalism @chjreportinghealth.bsky.social · Jun 23

We are pleased to announce the selection of 21 talented and diverse journalists to participate in the 2025 National Fellowship, exploring issues related to children, youth and family well-being and community health across the country!

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adam mahoney (he/him) @adamlmahoney.bsky.social · Jun 18

NEW: I spoke with Gail Etienne, who actually desegregated schools before Ruby Bridges, but in many ways her story has been deliberated ignored.

Her voice is only becoming more needed as the state of Louisiana attempts to remove school desegregation orders this year.
capitalbnews.org/gail-etienne...

The Forgotten Girls Who Desegregated New Orleans Before Ruby Bridges

The McDonogh Three's story was overshadowed for decades. Hurricane Katrina’s anniversary brings new urgency to their unfinished work.

capitalbnews.org

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Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · Jun 13

Ten years after the racist killing of nine worshippers, South Carolina has yet to pass a law that might protect Black communities, according to some residents. capitalbnews.org/mother-emanu...

Some Mother Emanuel Families Say the Focus on Forgiveness Has Cost Them Justice

Ten years after the racist killing of nine worshippers, South Carolina has yet to pass a law that might protect Black communities, according to some residents.

capitalbnews.org

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taylor crumpton @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social · May 24

Earlier this month, I freelanced for @capitalb.bsky.social. It was my first time working with the publication. The editors were lovely and the payment was efficient. We need more publications like this that honor and respect writers as well as their readership + audience!

Please donate if you can.

Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · May 24

Fewer websites preserving Black history. Fewer newsrooms covering our communities. At Capital B, we’re making sure those stories are still told — and told well. Help us raise $2,000 this spring do even more:

Join | Capital B

Capital B is supported by people like you. Support Capital B today.

capitalbnews.fundjournalism.org

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Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · Jun 8

Although Clarksdale finds itself in the national spotlight, the city has been leading its own charge for years.

‘Sinners’ Shows Clarksdale’s Past. What’s Next for the Birthplace of the Blues?

Although Clarksdale finds itself in the national spotlight, the city has been leading its own charge for years.

capitalbnews.org

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Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · Jun 8

The former LSU standout’s death is part of a troubling rise in suicides among young Black men.

Kyren Lacy’s Death at 24 Sheds Light on Black Male Suicide Crisis

The former LSU standout's death is part of a troubling rise in suicides among young Black men.

capitalbnews.org

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Reposted by Victoria St. Martin

Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · Jun 9

Doctors say new federal guidelines put Black health at risk. capitalbnews.org/kennedy-covi...

Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.

Doctors say new federal guidelines put Black health at risk.

capitalbnews.org

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adam mahoney (he/him) @adamlmahoney.bsky.social · Jun 2

The return of the skulls of 19 Black Americans stolen by German researchers is believed to be the first major international restitution of the remains of Black Americans from Europe.

Over the weekend, hundreds attended a jazz funeral in New Orleans in their honor.

capitalbnews.org/150-years-la...

Stolen Black Remains Return Home After 150 Years in European Vault

This marks the first major restitution of Black American skeletons from Europe and a renewed call to honor the lives erased by racism.

capitalbnews.org

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Aallyah Wright @aallyahpatrice.bsky.social · May 28

This is happening.

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