June 21, 2021

Here’s why it will be harder for many Black families to recover from the pandemic downturn

By Tami Luhby Although Kashirah Jackson is back at work, she’s still far from recovering from the economic upheaval the coronavirus pandemic wreaked on her finances. Early last year, the independent hair stylist’s business in Charlotte, North Carolina, was doing well and socking away her earnings for a down payment on a home. But the state lockdown left

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A bus driver for the Detroit, Michigan city bus line DDOT poses for a portrait wearing a protective mask and gloves for protection in Detroit, Michigan, on March 24, 2020, during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. - At 12:01 am Tuesday March 24,2020 Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered a 'Stay at Home and Stay Safe Order' to slow the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) across the State of Michigan which now has 1,791 confirmed cases and 24 deaths due to the virus. (Photo by SETH HERALD / AFP) (Photo by SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty Images)

3.5 million Black American households have a negative net worth, new study finds

By Chauncey Alcorn An estimated 19% of Black American families, roughly 3.5 million households, have a negative net worth because of a history of discriminatory policies from the government and private industry that has hindered their accumulation of wealth over time, according to a new McKinsey & Company study released Thursday. Just 8% of White households have

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YONKERS, NY - JANUARY 15: DMX at Ruff Ryders Recording Studios on January 15, 2013 in Yonkers, New York. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic)

DMX’s fiancée posts heartwarming Father’s Day video

By Rachel Trent On the first Father’s Day since DMX died after a heart attack, his fiancée posted a heartwarming video of the late rapper and their son singing together. “SCREAMING HAPPY FATHERS DAY ALL THE WAY TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE,” Desiree Lindstrom wrote on Instagram. The video shows DMX and their son, Exodus Simmons, singing the

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FATHERHOOD (L-R): KEVIN HART as MATT, MELODY HURD as MADDY. Cr. PHILIPPE BOSSE/NETFLIX ?? 2021.??

‘Fatherhood’ gives Kevin Hart a chance to show off his serious side

Review by Brian Lowry “Fatherhood” arrives just in time for Father’s Day, in a heart-tugging package that presents star/producer Kevin Hart an opportunity to show off his dramatic acting chops. Not that there aren’t laughs in this sweetly spirited, conflict-light, fact-based Netflix movie, which comes with the added stamp of being presented by the Obamas’ Higher Ground

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The US Capitol building is seen in Washington, DC, on May 11, 2021. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden’s agenda enters critical week on Capitol Hill ahead of looming Senate recess

By Paul LeBlanc Lawmakers will resume a slate of tense negotiations this week over voting rights, infrastructure and police reform as President Joe Biden’s agenda enters an important week on Capitol Hill. Looming large over the deliberations is the July 4 recess in the Senate, which begins at the end of the week and could

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Activists fight back as Juneteenth milestone is undercut by GOP discriminatory voting bills

Analysis by Stephen Collinson and Maeve Reston As America finally recognizes the importance of Juneteenth, the full potential of a symbolic new milestone for equality is being undermined by Republican moves to make it harder for many Black Americans to vote. Often in the civil rights struggle, single victories — like this week’s signing of a new law to

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BERLIN - AUGUST 21: Allyson Felix of United States crosses the line to win the gold medal in the women's 200 Metres Final during day seven of the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on August 21, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Six-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix: ‘I want my legacy to be one of someone who fought for women’

By Coy Wire and Sana Noor Haq Like many Olympians, USA track and field athlete Allyson Felix has been having an eventful journey to Tokyo 2020. With four Games under her belt — and having just qualified for her fifth Olympics at the US trials on June 20 — Felix is an Olympic veteran used to

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Michael Murray, who has been repairing shoes for 55 years and likes to be called Shoemaker, works in JC Lofton Tailors, one of the many black-owned businesses on U Street, on June 15, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Eliminating racial disparities could propel 2 million Black Americans to the middle class

Opinion by Shelley Stewart and Michael Chui If Juneteenth doesn’t make you think about the economy, maybe it should. Racial discrimination has an obvious human cost, but there’s an economic cost, too. In new research, we examined the disparities Black Americans face in various economic roles — as workers, business owners, savers, investors, consumers and residents.

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