Community Archives

For Black runners, every stride comes with a fear they can’t outrun

March 1, 2021

Community

By Faith Karimi, CNN Every time Roy Oduor laces up his bright red sneakers for a run in his Kansas neighborhood, he goes through a checklist of precautions. He wears a brightly colored wool hat in the winter, fearing a dark one could get him mistaken for a ski mask-donning attacker. He throws on a reflective vest to make it clear he’s a runner and not a loiterer. When he sees police officers, he waves emphatically so they can remember him as a nonthreatening jogger if he’s ever wrongfully accused of anything. For Black runners like Oduor, every stride comes

The Black Lives Matter foundation raised $90 million in 2020, and gave almost a quarter of it to local chapters and organizations

February 26, 2021

Community

By Maria Morava and Scottie Andrew, CNN A year of change in the name of racial justice is hard to quantify. But in the 2020 Impact Report released this week by the Black Lives Matter Movement, historic numbers speak volumes. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) said in the report that it raised over $90 million in 2020 alone, giving about a quarter of it — nearly three times the industry norm — to BLM chapters and local organizations. The report comes after a year of nationwide protests calling for racial justice and police reform. “This has been

Local nonprofit promoting mental health in the Black community

February 25, 2021

Community

By Tosin Fakile As part of Black History Month, one local organization is working to break down the stigma in the Black community of mental health. TN Voices says with all that’s been going on over the past 12 months, it’s important those in the Black and Brown communities take care of their mental health, and it starts with letting others know how you’re feeling. Kara James-Johnson heads a nonprofit that works with Black and Brown girls around mental health, but also receives therapy to help with her own mental health. “In our culture specifically, we’re just told to

The first Black sheriff in Wyoming takes over an agency that has faced significant controversy

February 23, 2021February 24, 2021

Community

By Emma Tucker, CNN For the first time in its 130-year history, Wyoming has a Black sheriff. Aaron Appelhans, 39, has taken charge of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, which faces two pending lawsuits and calls for reform in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Robert “Robbie” Ramirez by a deputy in 2018. “You don’t see a whole lot of African Americans in law enforcement,” Appelhans told CNN. “So, I’m trying to overcome that roadblock of taking a non-traditional career path and affect change within my community.” Wyoming is known as the “Equality State” because it was the first

America’s biggest cities face racial inequities in vaccine distribution

February 19, 2021

Community/COVID-19

By Priya Krishnakumar, CNN In recent weeks, the United States has seen a stabilization of reported Covid-19 cases, but for Black and brown communities disparities in case and death rates remain. And as the vaccine is rolled out across the country, these communities are being vaccinated at far lower rates than White Americans. These inequities are evident in some of the country’s largest metro areas, where demand for vaccines is far outpacing supply. While experts have raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy among Black and Hispanic adults, disparities in vaccination rates also indicate that appointments are not accessible enough to underserved

The Black church is having a moment

February 17, 2021

Black History Month/Community

By John Blake, CNN The Rev. Jemar Tisby describes himself as a “theological mutt.” He was baptized in a Southern Baptist church, joined a White nondenominational congregation and spent much of his time attending Catholic schools. But once he attended a small Black Baptist church in the Mississippi Delta, he found a home. Located in a former warehouse, the church had concrete floors, metal folding chairs for pews and an elderly congregation of only about 12 people. What they lacked in size, though, they made up for in spiritual fervor. When members of the congregation began to “feel the spirit,”

CDC director says ‘we have work to do’ when it comes to reopening schools safely

February 15, 2021

Community

By Chandelis Duster and Naomi Thomas, CNN The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday emphasized the need for masking and other mitigation measures in order to reopen schools safely, saying “we have work to do” as teachers, students and parents continue to struggle with Covid-19’s impact on education. “We have work to do, especially when the country remains in the red zone of high community transmission. As that transmission comes down we’ll be able to relax some of these measures, but the real point is to make sure that the science is consistent with

An Indiana teen is one of the first Black female Eagle Scouts

February 12, 2021

Community

By David Williams, CNN Kendall Jackson went on her first Boy Scout camping trip with her mother and older brother when she was just a toddler, and now the Indiana teen is one of the first Black females to become an Eagle Scout. Jackson was 15-years-old when the Scouts started admitting girls in 2019, so she knew she’d have to hurry to reach her goal of earning its highest rank before her 18th birthday. “I was just ready to go. I was eager to get started and be able to have this opportunity,” she said. “I was overwhelmed with joy

Five ways you can celebrate Black History Month virtually

February 2, 2021February 4, 2021

Black History Month/Campus News/Community

By Ashley Vaughan, CNN Honoring Black History Month may look and feel a lot different this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. But there are still plenty of ways to celebrate. Across the country, organizations are providing safe ways for people to commemorate the month virtually. Here’s a look at five ways you can partake in honoring the month without leaving your home. Participate in online events Throughout the month of February, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is launching virtual events and conversations that affirm and preserve the accomplishments of African Americans throughout history.

Meet the man who created Black History Month

February 1, 2021February 4, 2021

Black History Month/Campus News/Community

February marks Black History Month, a federally recognized, nationwide celebration that calls on all Americans to reflect on the significant roles that African-Americans have played in shaping US history. But how did this celebration come to be — and why does it happen in February? The man behind the holiday Carter G. Woodson, considered a pioneer in the study of African-American history, is given much of the credit for Black History Month. The son of former slaves, Woodson spent his childhood working in coal mines and quarries. He received his education during the four-month term that was customary