Word In Black
@wordinblacknews.bsky.social
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'Black America's Digital Daily' — innovating on the near 200 year legacy of the Black Press.
The rate of pregnant women contracting syphilis continued climbing through 2024 for most demographic groups. Black women are also facing disproportionate risks from the disease. Here's what you should know to stay well.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/alar...
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Alarming Trend Shows Maternal Syphilis Surging in the U.S.
The rate of pregnant women contracting syphilis continued climbing through 2024 for most demographic groups including Black women.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/alarming-trend-shows-maternal-syphilis-surging-in-the-u-s/
about 3 hours ago
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Banning cellphones in K-12 classrooms is a growing national trend. But a new survey finds that only 33% of Black teens support bans, and disproportionate discipline rates may have something to do with it.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/why-...
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A Third Of Black Teens Aren't Supportive Of Cellphone Bans
Experts say that school punishments may be a reason.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/why-black-teens-are-less-supportive-of-school-cellphone-bans/
about 3 hours ago
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For generations, the numbers haven’t told the whole truth about Black health in America. Word In Black’s new Research & Insights department is working to change that by taking a closer look at how Black communities view breast cancer and organ donation.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/chan...
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Changing the Story Data Tells About Black Health
Because data alone can’t save lives.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/changing-the-story-data-tells-about-black-health/
1 day ago
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Faith leaders across the country are mobilizing, and with “Eyes Not Lies,” clergy are telling the public to trust what they see about ICE killings.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/your...
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Your Eyes Do Not Lie: Pastors Declare Truth About Alex Pretti
With "Eyes Not Lies," clergy are telling the public to trust what they see.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/your-eyes-do-not-lie-pastors-declare-truth-about-alex-pretti/
1 day ago
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A new hymn by Nolan Williams Jr. channels Selma’s spirit for a new generation: “We need to be reflecting the times, and that’s not something that should just be in the streets — that’s something that should also be in the pulpit, in the choir loft, in the pews.”
wordinblack.com/2026/01/resi...
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'Just Like Selma': Resistance Gets a New Hymn
Nolan Williams Jr. channels Selma’s spirit for a nation in need.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/resistance-just-like-selma/
4 days ago
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With federal protections rolling back, activist Dr. Margot Brown says environmental justice now depends on local action: "Our choices today will shape the world our children inherit tomorrow, and we must move now."
wordinblack.com/2026/01/when...
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When Washington Walks Away, We Must Step Up
As federal protections roll back, environmental justice needs local action.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/when-washington-walks-away-we-must-step-up/
4 days ago
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Building on MLK Jr.’s idea of “the beloved community,” religious and lay leaders are bringing respite to migrants — and protesters — in a city under siege.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/in-m...
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In Minneapolis, Faith Groups Provide Shelter From the ICE Storm
In various corners and sacred spaces across Minneapolis, people of faith make themselves available to support those targeted by ICE.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/in-minneapolis-faith-groups-provide-relief/
7 days ago
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Do you know what an HBCU is? About 60% of high schoolers don’t, and a report from the United Negro College Fund says schools need to do more to introduce students to them.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/who-...
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About 60% of High Schoolers Don't Know What an HBCU Is
A new UNCF report says increasing HBCU awareness needs to be a priority.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/who-knows-what-hbcu-is/
7 days ago
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A year into Trump's second term, Black unemployment has reached recession levels, with the rate for young Black people more than four times the national average, according to a Joint Center report.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/trum...
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A Year in, Trump's Agenda Has Deepened Black Economic Pain
A new report finds that President Donald Trump's policies have pushed Black America into recession-level unemployment.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/trumps-agenda-deepened-black-economic-pain/
8 days ago
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Could a new Medicaid approach help cure sickle cell? Under the agreement, pharmaceutical companies will get paid only if costly gene therapies actually work.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/medi...
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Medicaid Tries New Approach With Sickle Cell
Pharmaceutical companies will get paid only if costly gene therapies work.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/medicaid-tries-new-approach-with-sickle-cell/
8 days ago
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In the age of Trump,
@aft.org
's Fedrick Ingram says the blueprint for Black educational power still stands: "Black history is not just a collection of struggles and pain, but a chronicling of our strength and a timeline of victories."
wordinblack.com/2026/01/game...
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The Game Plan: Education for Us, by Us
In the age of Trump, AFT's Fedrick Ingram outlines a blueprint for Black educational power.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/game-plan-education-for-us-by-us/
9 days ago
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Mike Tomlin, the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach, stepped away from the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 years. He leaves behind a glowing example of "accountability, hard work, and ownership — without excuses," columnist John Celestand says.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/the-...
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The Mike Tomlin Standard
After 19 years with the Steelers, his legacy isn’t just wins.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/the-mike-tomlin-standard/
10 days ago
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At a moment when higher education in the United States is under political and cultural siege, Black students are continuing to apply to college at a rate faster than anyone else. Here's why.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/blac...
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Black Students Are Applying to College Anyway
Applications rose 11% this year despite plenty of higher ed obstacles.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/black-students-are-the-fastest-growing-group-of-college-applicants/
10 days ago
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Dr. King’s ideas and impact span far beyond what you read about in most history books. Word In Black’s Shernay Williams shares 7 things you might not know about the civil rights icon.
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14 days ago
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This King Day, activist Tabitha Chikwendu says it's time to know the civil rights icon beyond “I Have a Dream” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Dr. King's 1964 Nobel Lecture speaks directly to our current crises of democracy, inequality, and war.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/dr-k...
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The Dr. King Speech We Should Be Reading Right Now
His 1964 Nobel Lecture speaks directly to our crises of democracy, inequality, and war.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/dr-king-speech-read-right-now/
14 days ago
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Have our megachurches lost the plot? With a viral skit, comedian Druski has sparked praise, backlash, and deeper questions about faith, money, and performance in the modern Black church.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/drus...
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Druski’s Latest Skit Parodies Black Megachurch Culture
The viral video has prompted both laughter and soul-searching.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/druski-megachurch-parody/
14 days ago
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Looking to reaffirm your faith this year? Drawn from the biblical story of Daniel, Black Christians are using the Daniel Fast to focus on prayer, restraint, and drawing closer to God. Read more:
wordinblack.com/2026/01/frui...
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15 days ago
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This year marks the 40th anniversary of the King Day holiday. As the Trump administration pushes erasure, one of the oldest groups dedicated to MLK’s work, the King Commission of Mid-Michigan, is educating future generations.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/mich...
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Amid Backsliding, a Michigan Group Keeps MLK’s Fire Burning
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Commission of Mid-Michigan is gearing up to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the King Day holiday.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/michigan-group-keeps-mlks-fire-burning
15 days ago
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Cosmetic surgery companies aren't required to post evidence that their marketing claims are accurate, and it's costing people their lives. “I just don’t understand how she came back to me in a body bag,” Ste’Aira Ballard says of her mother, Tamala Smith.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/when...
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When Cosmetic Surgery Ads Hide the Risks
“I just don’t understand how she came back to me in a body bag."
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/when-cosmetic-surgery-ads-hide-the-risks/
16 days ago
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In a win for education advocates, a temporary injunction has stopped the Trump administration from withholding funds from Head Start programs that are linked to DEI efforts.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/judg...
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Judge Blocks Trump From Attacking Head Start's DEI Efforts
Head Start programs can use DEI language in their grant applications for now.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/judge-blocks-trump-move-to-defund-head-start-over-dei-language/
16 days ago
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April D. Ryan makes history as the longest-serving Black White House Correspondent! With a career that spans 29 years, Ryan has shown an unwavering commitment to progress and justice through reporting that speaks to the realities of Black life in America.
17 days ago
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Why should Black Americans care about the crisis happening in Venezuela? Educator Rann Miller says Malcolm X and W.E.B. DuBois understood: imperialism threatens Black people everywhere.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/why-...
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Why Venezuela’s Crisis Matters to Black America
President Trump's actions in Venezuela, the author argues, drain tax dollars and fuel the exploitation of Black and brown nations.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/why-venezuelas-crisis-matters-to-black-america/
17 days ago
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For many students considering an HBCU, the choice is driven less by academic fit and more by financial survival. Howard University alumna Julienne Louis Anderson says it's time for philanthropy to fund students — not just institutions.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/hbcu...
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HBCU Dreams Are Being Priced Out
Philanthropy must fund students — not just institutions
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/hbcu-dreams-are-being-priced-out/
17 days ago
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We are so proud to announce that WIB’s Anissa Durham is an NAACP Image Award nominee for outstanding journalism! Her series, “On Borrowed Time,” examines the people, policies, and systems that hurt or help Black patients in need of an organ transplant. Read it here:
wordinblack.com/on-borrowed-...
18 days ago
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RFK Jr.'s sweeping overhaul of federal nutrition guidelines urges Americans to "eat real food." But experts warn the advice oversimplifies obesity, clashes with rising food costs, and overlooks issues Black Americans face.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/rfk-...
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RFK Jr.'s Food Pyramid: More Fats, Fewer Grains, No Health Equity
The new federal nutrition guidelines urge Americans to “eat real food,” but experts warn the advice oversimplifies the disease of obesity, clashes with rising food costs, and overlooks issues affectin...
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/rfk-jr-s-food-pyramid-more-fats-fewer-grains-no-health-equity/
18 days ago
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The U.S. Department of Education is vowing to intensify its collection of unpaid student loans in 2026. Word In Black’s Shernay Williams breaks down how to know if you’re in default and how to avoid wage garnishment. Read more:
wordinblack.com/2026/01/unpa...
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21 days ago
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Renee Nicole Good’s killing by ICE is part of a system Black Americans have long warned the country about. How should we respond? Author and expert Dr. Joy DeGruy says by continuing to take care of ourselves, building community, and loving each other.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/this...
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This Is the America Black People Have Always Known
Renee Nicole Good’s killing is part of a system we've long warned about.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/this-is-the-america-black-people-have-always-known/
21 days ago
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A Chicago nonprofit and an influential teachers’ union are suing the Trump administration for axing over $60 million in community school funds. The money would’ve gone to help kids and families in rural and low-income areas, according to the lawsuit.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/laws...
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Lawsuit Says Trump Cut Over $60M in School Funds
The money would've helped students in rural and low-income areas.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/lawsuit-trump-axed-community-school-funds/
21 days ago
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One year ago, the Eaton Fire destroyed generational homes. Now, the recovery is testing whether a historic Black community can survive displacement and slow rebuilding.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/a-ye...
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A Year After the Eaton Fire, Black Altadena Is Fighting to Stay
The fire destroyed homes. The recovery is testing whether a historic Black community can survive displacement and slow rebuilding.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/a-year-after-the-eaton-fire-black-altadena-is-fighting-to-stay/
22 days ago
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How did you feel about this year’s Critics Choice Awards? Let us know in the comments. Read more here:
wordinblack.com/2026/01/timo...
23 days ago
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David G. Brown, political cartoonist for the Los Angeles Sentinel, the city’s oldest Black newspaper, reflects on the art of racial dissent. An exhibit at the Watts Towers showcases his work.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/capt...
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Capturing America’s Racial Zeitgeist, One Week at a Time
Political cartoonist David G. Brown reflects on the art of racial dissent.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/capturing-americas-racial-zeitgeist/
23 days ago
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The $20 billion Green Bank program is headed back to court. Designed to help Black communities and others who need support in fighting climate change, it’s been a target of the Trump Administration.
wordinblack.com/2026/01/gree...
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The $20 Billion Green Bank Program Gets Another Day in Court
The program has become a target of the Trump Administration.
https://wordinblack.com/2026/01/green-bank-program-gets-another-day-in-court/
24 days ago
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In our short guide, we spoke to experts and physicians about the top five health care appointments you can make in the new year.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/here...
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Here’s What Doc Appointments You Need to Make in 2026
In our short guide, we spoke to experts and physicians about the top five health care appointments you can make in the new year.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/heres-what-docs-appointments-you-need-to-make-in-2025/
25 days ago
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Now that race can't be used as a factor in admissions, the number of white men enrolled in college has dropped significantly. Educator Rann Miller says this is no accident since undereducated white men keep MAGA in power.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/dei-...
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D.E.Irony: Fewer White Men in College Keeps MAGA in Power
The old divide-and-conquer strategy has a new twist.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/dei-fewer-white-men-college-maga-power/
28 days ago
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Health experts and advocates warn that the mental health system makes it “easier to criminalize somebody than to get them help.”
wordinblack.com/2025/12/crim...
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Criminally Ill: State Mental Hospitals Are Turning Into Prisons
It's “easier to criminalize somebody than to get them help.”
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/criminally-ill-state-mental-hospitals-are-turning-into-prisons/
28 days ago
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Our “Best Things to Happen to Black People in 2025” list isn’t just about Black America’s ability to achieve — it’s about our ability to believe. To believe that progress, goodness, and justice are possible no matter who tries to diminish or erase us.
wordinblack.com/2025/01/best...
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about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Word In Black
Anna Gifty
about 1 month ago
And the good news keeps coming, thank you
@wordinblacknews.bsky.social
for naming
#TheDoubleTax
as one of the STANDOUT TITLES OF 2025 for Black-authored books alongside Michelle Obama, Jacqueline Woodson, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. This means everything and more to me.
#booksky
#blacksky
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The Black Books That Reminded Us Who We Are
In a tough year, Black authors held us steady — and pointed the way forward.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/black-books-reminded-us-who-we-are/
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Thousands of Altadena and Pasadena residents were displaced this year by devastating wildfires. Here’s how you can help make their holidays extra special.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/how-...
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How to Help Altadena Residents This Holiday Season
Thousands of Altadena and Pasadena residents were displaced this year. Here’s how you can help make their holidays extra special.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/how-to-help-altadena-residents-this-holiday-season/
about 1 month ago
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Hannah V. Sawyerr’s newest work, “Truth Is,” follows a 17-year-old girl who is navigating choice and bodily autonomy. Here's why it's an important read for young Black folks nationwide.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/hann...
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This YA Novel Puts Reproductive Choice Front and Center
Hannah V. Sawyerr's "Truth Is" is a National Book Award finalist for 2025.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/hannah-v-sawyerrs-truth-is-abortion/
about 1 month ago
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YouTube is the most popular streaming platform in the world, but it’s not always easy for parents to find engaging, educational content that centers Blackness for their kids. We searched for you and found six Black creators producing edutainment and representation:
wordinblack.com/2025/12/scre...
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about 1 month ago
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As the Senate’s only ordained minister, Raphael Warnock recently drew attention by invoking spirituality — a rarity for Democrats. America is in the midst of a “spiritual crisis” that threatens to unravel the nation, he said in a speech.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/sen-...
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Sen. Raphael Warnock: 'We're a Nation in Crisis'
Warnock says inequality isn’t just economic — it’s spiritual.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/sen-raphael-warnock-faith-nation-in-crisis/
about 1 month ago
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Since the 1800s, Black folks have used Christmas to resist racial violence and oppression. Here are some social justice organizations to support this holiday season.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/why-...
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For Black America, Christmas Is a Time of Resistance
Black folks have long used Christmas to stand up for justice.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/why-black-christmas-means-resistance/
about 1 month ago
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From Actively Black to Reparations Club, these are the Black-owned businesses Team Word In Black shops, loves, and wants you to know about. If you’re holiday shopping, make it Black-owned with these great finds.
#blacksky
wordinblack.com/2025/11/if-y...
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about 1 month ago
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As attacks on the Biden-era SAVE Plan continue, "the greatest threat to Black educational futures is not a lack of talent or ambition — it’s the United States Supreme Court," Debt Collective’s Braxton Brewington says.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/stud...
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The Student Loan Crisis Is About to Get Worse
Threats to the SAVE plan could raise payments and harm Black borrowers.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/student-loan-crisis-save-plan/
about 1 month ago
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Faith without screens? As more churches stop streaming worship services, some say the move could make it more difficult for folks to hear the word of God — including parishioners with chronic illnesses.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/chur...
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Faith Without Screens? Churches Reconsider Livestream Worship
Some say church leaders shouldn't completely cut the cord.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/churches-reconsider-livestream-worship/
about 2 months ago
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We faced racism on campus. This generation faces that — plus lockdown drills and the reality of mass shootings.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/mass...
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I Came of Age at College. I Fear for My Grandchildren There
Students are not asking for perfection. They are asking for protection.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/mass-shootings-college-fear-for-grandchildren/
about 2 months ago
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Rod Paige died Tuesday at 92, leaving behind a complicated legacy. As the nation’s first Black secretary of education, Paige set high standards while penalizing schools struggling with structural racism.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/comp...
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The Complicated Legacy Rod Paige Leaves Behind
As the first Black education secretary, he ushered in No Child Left Behind.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/complicated-legacy-rod-paige-leaves-behind/
about 2 months ago
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Everyone's talking about the Diddy documentary, but is it enough to end hip-hop's cycle of violence? "As powerful as the doc is, the holes are obvious and glaring," author and theologian Candice Marie Benbow said.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/is-b...
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Is Black America Reckoning With End of Hip-Hop's 'Diddy Era'?
The bombshell documentary, "Sean Combs: The Reckoning," has Black America talking, spurring intense conversations about the iconic.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/is-black-america-reckoning-with-end-of-hip-hops-diddy-era/
about 2 months ago
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After firing hundreds of employees in March, more than 25,000 unresolved civil rights complaints have forced the Education Department to abruptly recall staff.
wordinblack.com/2025/12/educ...
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Education Dept. Scrambles as Civil Rights Backlog Explodes
Hundreds of workers are being asked to come back to work on Dec. 15, 2026
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/education-dept-scrambles-as-civil-rights-backlog-explodes/
about 2 months ago
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As the world’s fourth-largest economy, activist Erin Aubry Kaplan says California can use its holiday spending power to challenge Trump-era racism. "The old adage that the customer is always right still has currency, and in many cases, moral weight."
wordinblack.com/2025/12/holi...
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Fighting Trump With the Power of the Purse
The old adage that the customer is always right still has currency.
https://wordinblack.com/2025/12/holiday-shopping-boycott-fights-trump/
about 2 months ago
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