RIP Andre Braugher, sickle cell breakthrough, “modern day slavery” in Alabama
Friday, December 15, 2023.
What I’m Reading
FDA approves cure for sickle cell disease, the first treatment to use gene-editing tool CRISPR, NBC News
The FDA has approved a powerful medicine that uses the gene-editing tool CRISPR to treat sickle cell disease. The devastating illness affects more than 100,000 Americans, the majority of whom are Black.
Eviction is one of the biggest health risks facing Black children, New America
For New America, Julian Craven wrote an op-ed detailing the stakes for Black mothers and children suffering under the racist thumb of America’s eviction crisis, the health consequences of experiencing a disruptive life event during childhood, and potential solutions.
The racial homeownership gap is widening. New rules might make it worse, The Washington Post
“An unusual alliance of big banks and some housing affordability advocates is arguing that a proposal meant to boost the financial stability of banks would make mortgages more expensive for cash-poor home buyers — disproportionately people of color.”
Related: The nation’s largest credit union rejected more than half its Black conventional mortgage applicants.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: An Alabama city has fired three police officers connected to the fatal shooting of a Black man in front of his own home during a dispute with a tow truck driver…
District of Columbia: Virginia Ali, one of the co-founders of Ben's Chili Bowl in the nation’s capital, celebrated her 90th birthday…
Georgia: Hannah Payne has been found guilty of chasing down, shooting and killing Kenneth Herring after a hit-and-run in 2019. Prosecutors say she ignored repeated orders from a 911 operator not to pursue him…
Illinois: Jobs can be a source of inspiration, but opportunities are diminishing for young Black people in the Chicago area, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Alden Loury writes…
Minnesota: Marvin Haynes, who has been imprisoned since 2005, should have never been convicted, a judge said. His conviction has been vacated…
Mississippi: A 10-year-old boy who was arrested for public urination after he stepped behind his mom’s car to urinate has received 3 months of probation and is required to write a 2-page paper on Kobe Bryant…
New Jersey: Edward Matthews, who went viral for his racist rant back in 2021, was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of bias intimidation…
Tennessee: 86-year-old Verna Mae Jackson was identified as the employee killed in an accident at the FedEx World Hub in Memphis…
Virginia: The short documentary “Uprooted” examines a Black community’s decades-long battle to hold onto their land as city officials wielded eminent domain to establish and expand Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia…
What’s Happening
A whole lot of Black people live near deadly coal plants, and now a recent study is exposing the effects of living near burning coal…
Edward Poindexter, a former Black Panther who spent more than half a century in prison for a crime he always maintained he did not commit, has died in prison…
Harvard President Claudine Gay will remain in office with the support of the University’s highest governing body following a controversial antisemitism congressional hearing. Related read: Eddie S. Glaude Jr. in TIME — DEI is not the monster here…
Celedonia Jones, a self-educated New York historian who dug deeply into the history of Seneca Village, a mostly Black settlement in what became Central Park, has died. He was 93…
The largest credit union in the country has the widest disparity in mortgage approval rates between White and Black borrowers of any major lender, a CNN analysis found…
The man who wielded a folding chair during the Montgomery riverfront brawl has avoided jail time, and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service…
A grand jury has decided not to indict the Mississippi officer that shot an 11-year-old boy in the chest during a domestic call…
Black Americans say they have to mentally brace themselves for potential mistreatment when they visit the doctor, according to a new survey…
About 12% of undergraduates at historically Black colleges are student parents. Here’s what their experiences are like…
Learn more about the legacy of swimming and other water sports at HBCUs through Diversity in Aquatics’ HBCU Celebration Swim Meet and Water Safety Festival…
Current and former prisoners in Alabama filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that the state’s prison labor system amounts to a “modern-day form of slavery” that violates the Constitution...
Entertainment
Andre Braugher, the actor who starred in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Homicide: Life on the Street,” has died of lung cancer. He was 61. NPR’s Eric Deggans penned a tribute to the late actor…
18 businesses have terminated their relationships with Diddy’s new e-commerce platform in light of the abuse allegations against the hip-hop mogul…
Oprah Winfrey was honored with a portrait at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington…
From Imani Perry: How a community — and a legacy — of Black playwrights, performers, choreographers, and producers has transformed what we get to see on stage…
Scarface's Tiny Desk is coming out on Monday. Tiny Desk senior producer Bobby Carter has called it “the best hip-hop tiny desk we've ever put out.” You can watch on YouTube…
The Wu-Tang Clan will hit Las Vegas next with a residency starting in February…
Eddie Murphy is making a grand comeback in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” Watch the trailer here. The movie premieres on Netflix in summer 2024…
A decision to cast Denzel Washington as Hannibal in an upcoming Netflix film has sparked a small but heated debate in Tunisia, the military general’s birthplace…
Cardi B confirmed on Instagram Live she has officially split from her husband Offset…
Tracy Morgan discovered on the PBS genealogy series “Finding Your Roots” that he's related to his longtime pal and rapper Nas…
2 Chainz has been cleared to go home after being rushed to the hospital following a car accident in Miami…
New York Times critic Dwight Garner reviewed a new biography of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, “Becoming Ella”...
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 17 seconds…
The YSL RICO trial is in recess until January 2 following the stabbing of defendant Shannon Stillwell…
The African American Intellectual History Society has published its list of the best Black history books of 2023…
Wayne State University is hiring up to 50 assistant, associate, and full-time professors of Black studies to join its new Detroit Center for Black Studies…
Jamal Jordan is creating a visual storytelling column for The Washington Post, and is seeking pitches. Details here…
For musicians: The NPR Tiny Desk Contest is back. The winner will play their very own Tiny Desk concert and go on tour with NPR Music…
Capital B is hiring a Deputy National Editor, and The TRiiBE is hiring a reporter focused on community investment in Chicago's Black communities…
The Urban Journalism Workshop is back! We are currently accepting applications for 2024. We teach D.C. area high school students the fundamentals of print, broadcast and digital journalism. Tell your students or loved ones to apply!...
There is an urgent need for more diverse arts writers and critics in the industry. Consider applying for The National Critics Institute, a two-week workshop for those interested. The deadline is December 18, 2023…
Are you a student interested in the entertainment industry? Check out thePeter Roth internship program. The deadline is January 16…
