What I’m Reading
The Voting Rights Act has taken two devastating blows. What comes next?, The 19th
Kristen Clarke, the NAACP’s top lawyer, spoke with The 19th about what’s next for the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court took aim at the law. She explained that the country needs to have an “honest conversation” about how to protect the rights of Black voters.
The push to reach forgotten Black voters ahead of the Midterm elections, Capital B News
For Capital B News, Aallyah Wright explored a range of efforts — from comedian-led tours to public art installations — focused on the so-called ‘forgotten voters.’ These include college students, first-time voters, and formerly incarcerated people.
Related: Activists say urging young people to vote on Election Day is only part of the battle. The next phase involves highlighting what’s at stake for them…
Suicide is up among Black Americans, having increased more than 50 percent over the past decade, CDC data shows. NPR’s Michel Martin hosted a live event that brought together a panel of clinicians, lawmakers and people impacted to discuss this growing public health crisis. Watch above.
The Economic Crisis in Black America, Hammer & Hope
A large number of Black Americans are losing essential programs like Medicaid and food stamps, thanks to Trump’s cuts. Hadas Thier spoke to those most affected and learned how communities are fighting back.
Related: The median net worth of Black American households declined by 25 percent from 2022 to 2025, according to newly released Federal Reserve data.
What’s In The News
Across America
California: Oakland is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party’s founding with a series of events this weekend…
Delaware: Composer Jonathan Whitney created a jazz suite about Black history at Cooch’s Bridge, the site of Delaware’s only Revolutionary War battle…
District of Columbia: Join The Washington Informer for its 62nd Anniversary Photo Exhibit & Reception on October 16th…
Florida: The African American Historical Society of Clay County is racing against time to uncover and preserve local Black history…
Kentucky: Amber D. Dodd interviewed Talesha Wilson, a Black activist who helped organize the very first protests to hold Louisville police accountable for the murder of Breonna Taylor…
Louisiana: For years now, frequent power outages at Southern University have disrupted classes and campus life…
Maine: Portland Public Schools is unveiling a new Black History curriculum this fall, becoming the first school district in the state to do so…
Maryland: The University of Maryland’s club tennis team has been suspended indefinitely after placing a racist graphic in a tournament program, the school said…
Massachusetts: Long before Martha’s Vineyard became a hot destination, Inkwell Beach was the go-to spot for generations to gather, rest, and make memories…
New York: Jury selection began this week in the federal hate crime trial of a white supremacist who admitted to killing 10 Black people in a massacre at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022…
North Carolina: The public can visit the N.C. African American Heritage Commission’s traveling Green Book Project in Brevard until Nov. 20…
Texas: The Guardian profiled Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, the prophetic Texas pastor poised to take Jasmine Crockett’s House seat…
Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $3 million to the National Juneteenth Museum in honor of Opal Lee...
Virginia: Hundreds of Williamsburg residents recently gathered for a community-wide re-dedication of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches...
What’s Happening
Several Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department officers are under investigation, or have resigned, after a probe discovered a series of racist texts…
Nearly 300 pages of group chats pulled from Nolan Wells’ cellphone show what was said before and after he vanished in early July…
Kamala Harris will be making several notable campaign stops — Mississippi, New Hampshire, Wisconsin — ahead of the midterm elections…
At public HBCUs, student protest still comes with a political price, Autumn A. Arnett writes for The EDU Ledger…
For the Global Disability News Network, Danielle Belton discussed destroying the mask of wellness while being Black and neurodivergent...
University of Texas at Austin students are voicing their concerns after a right-wing influencer made racist and sexist comments during an on-campus debate...
Therapist Kier Gaines was recently profiled in The New York Times, and he’s pushing his millions of online followers to be more vulnerable…
Edward Waters University, the oldest HBCU in Florida, is set to build its first new on-campus dorm since 1982…
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has moved even closer in its plan to open the state’s first veterinary school…
Wow: Researchers at North Carolina A&T State University have designed a plant-based wound dressing for small injuries…
Angie Nixon keeps defying expectations with her Florida Senate campaign. Now some national Democrats have started to take notice…
A captivating new book offers a look inside the “astonishing” Chicago headquarters of EBONY and JET magazines…
This homecoming season, HBCU alumni must offer ongoing support beyond donations, including mentorship, internships, and advocacy, Danyale Freeman writes for EBONY…
For the New York Amsterdam News, Ariama C. Long examined how NYC’s deeply segregated school system is shaped by race, class disparities, and the historic impacts of redlining…
Entertainment News
Netflix’s “Untold: Wide Deceiver” documentary will focus on Daejon Love, the man who scammed women out of money while posing as a San Francisco 49ers player…
Duane “Keffe D” Davis has been sentenced to 40 years to life after being found guilty of orchestrating the 1996 murder of Tupac…
Sean “Diddy” Combs went to the hospital after getting into a fight with a convicted drug lord, PEOPLE reports…
Druski is set to become the first online creator to host “Saturday Night Live” on November 7, according to multiple reports…
Logan Murdock spoke with “Saturday Night Live” legend Michael Che about his new Netflix special, the joy of saying what you’re not supposed to say, and more…
Shanique Yates wrote about Richmond, Virginia’s tribute to its hometown hero D’Angelo on the week of the first anniversary of his death…
For 20 years, threads of Black American music have converged at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music…
Kyle Denis for Billboard: The future of pop music is approaching and Black women are leading the charge — why aren’t they also leading the charts?...
Jay-Z recently opened up about his friendship and former rivalry with Nas in his new docuseries…
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Tina Knowles, Rumi and Blue Ivy attended the grand opening of the Knowles-Rowland House, a housing development in Houston…
New from Damon Young: You can usually tell if a Black TV show or movie is good by how scruffy the main characters are…
A new compilation shows disco queen Donna Summer’s detours into rock, synth-pop, country and other sounds…
Obituaries
Hassan Kariem, a beloved educator who died after falling from a Six Flags Over Georgia roller coaster, was 42 years old…
Morgan Gamble, a Clark Atlanta University student and assistant on Netflix’s “A Different World,” has died after a reckless driver struck her vehicle. She was 21...
Listen to five essential songs from the late Freddie Jackson…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 45 seconds!…
I am a board member with DMV Does Good. Please help us support veterans experiencing housing and food insecurity. Purchase essentials from our Amazon wish list…
Proximity Media, the production company behind “Sinners,” is offering internship opportunities in feature film, television, and nonfiction for Spring 2027. Applications close next week…
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will host its Next Century of Black Studies Conference from November 16th to 18th. Register here…
Mr. Lewis, I appreciate your timely and relevant reporting. For the Black Panther Party 60th Anniversary, I hope you explore how my God Father, Rev. Harry McNelty of the First Baptist Church was the only pastor brave enough to allow his family to have the funeral there. All the other pastors in the area became scared because of what happened to him, I mean what bravery. Rev. Harry McNelty only had one hand, confined to a wheel chair, and built a mulit-million dollar school for Black children in his last years. Just thought I would share!