Health

Women hold pink signs with white lettering. They read, "Stand with women," and "Protect women's health."
Ayana Byrd  Oct 18, 2018 1:47PM EDT

Nearly Half the Texas Providers Offering Free Reproductive Health Care Have Zero Patients

The state has not found an effective alternative to Planned Parenthood, which it defunded in 2011.
Jesse Jackson Leads National March In Flint To End Water Crisis
Ayana Byrd  Oct 17, 2018 2:16PM EDT

State and Federal Government Still Resisting Efforts to Save Flint

Government employees allege that higher ups do not want to prevent another water crisis.
A U.S. border wall tops a levee near Rio Grande at the U.S.-Mexico border on March 15, 2017, near La Grulla, Texas.
Ayana Byrd  Oct 15, 2018 12:29PM EDT

Trump Administration to Suspend Dozens Of Environmental and Health Laws to Build Border Wall

Activists says residents and wildlife along the wall’s proposed route are in danger.
Latinx woman receives an injection
Ayana Byrd  Oct 9, 2018 2:17PM EDT

Increased HPV Vaccine Age Limit Could Save Black, Latinx Lives

A disproportionate number of people of color develop HPV-related cancers.
A demonstrator holds up a red, black and white poster that reads "Nope."
Kenrya Rankin  Oct 6, 2018 3:58PM EDT

Senate Votes to Place Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court

Activists disrupted the proceedings as Vice President Mike Pence called for the vote.
The 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah protects one of most significant cultural landscapes in the United States, with thousands of archaeological sites and important areas of spiritual significance.
Ayana Byrd  Oct 2, 2018 2:17PM EDT

Indigenous Activists Win Two Legal Battles To Protect Their Land

Federal courts halted moves by the Trump administration that would have contaminated water sources and destroyed Native cultural artifacts.
Black woman with curly hair in a light blue denim shirt in front of a pink background
Kenrya Rankin  Oct 1, 2018 4:31PM EDT

How You Can Support Black Women During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other women in the United States.
A plume of exhaust extends from a coal-fired power plant built in New Eagle, Pennsylvania.
Ayana Byrd  Sep 27, 2018 10:47AM EDT

Black and Latinx Families Live, Go to School and Grocery Shop Near Chemical Facilities

New research shows that the health risks—including cancer—multiply for people living at or near the poverty level.
Person holds mini flag to their chest, wearing blue and white striped shirt
catherine lizette gonzalez  Sep 24, 2018 5:48PM EDT

Trump Administration Plans to Restrict Green Cards For Immigrants Enrolled in Safety Net Programs

Per a new 447-page proposal, the federal government seeks to deny green cards to immigrants who have received benefits including Medicaid, housing vouchers and supplemental food assistance.
Flood Damage After Hurricane Florence
Ayana Byrd  Sep 24, 2018 2:59PM EDT

5 Ways To Donate Money, Time and Other Aid to Communities Hit By Florence

These organizations are working to keep people in the Carolinas safe in the aftermath of the storm.
A man wearing sunglasses poses with boxing gloves decorated with the Puerto Rican flag
Joaquin Cotler and Angely Mercado  Sep 21, 2018 11:59AM EDT

Ruin—and Resilience—in Post-Maria Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria began devastating Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. A look at the pain—and the survival—of the island’s rural areas. 
Black women of various shades laugh in the sunlight
Ayana Byrd  Sep 17, 2018 1:13PM EDT

Sexual Health Experts on Why 'Insecure' Needs to Practice Safer Sex

With STI rates dangerously high for Black people, do TV shows have a responsibility to wrap it up?
Leana Wen
Ayana Byrd  Sep 13, 2018 1:37PM EDT

Planned Parenthood's New President Has a Long History of Saving Black Mothers and Babies

Dr. Leana Wen is also experienced in standing up against the Trump administration’s attacks on reproductive rights.
Protesters hold signs. Two blue and white signs say, "Keep abortion legal." One black and white sign says, "Abortion kills a person."
Ayana Byrd  Sep 12, 2018 3:08PM EDT

SURVEY: Black Women Overwhelmingly Support Roe v. Wade

They also lead the way in opposing the nomination of anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Hurricane Florence Likely To Strike East Coast With Damaging Effect
Ayana Byrd  Sep 11, 2018 3:35PM EDT

How Climate Change Could Make Hurricane Florence More Dangerous For Communities of Color

Global warming not only impacts the strength of the storm, but it can also impact the mental health of those affected by it. 
Photo Illustration by Lars Baron/Getty
Ayana Byrd  Sep 5, 2018 12:55PM EDT

High Lead Levels Force Detroit to Shut Off Water Fountains At All Public Schools

The underfunded district faces millions in plumbing bills to reverse the problem. 
Black Man At A Doctor's Visit
Ayana Byrd  Aug 21, 2018 2:38PM EDT

STUDY: Increasing Number of Black Doctors Could Save Black Men's Lives

Black men have the lowest life expectancy in the United States. A new study examines why a doctor’s race can make all the difference.
Priyanka Bhatt and Azadeh Shahshahani  Aug 15, 2018 4:22PM EDT

It's Time for Atlanta to Stop Colluding With ICE [OP-ED]

A new report from Project South and Georgia Detention Watch details the “inhumane” conditions inside the Atlanta City Detention Center where Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains immigrants.
Pipelines in Williston, North Dakota, on June 15, 2011.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 14, 2018 2:50PM EDT

Racial Justice Groups Enjoy Tenuous Victory in Halting Atlantic Coast Pipeline Construction

The completed pipeline would expose Black communities along its path to dangerous levels of pollution, says the NAACP.
Work Begins In Flint To Replace Lead Water Pipes
Ayana Byrd  Aug 13, 2018 2:38PM EDT

Dangerously High Lead Levels Found In Suburban Chicago Homes

Researchers who helped in Flint, Michigan, are now intervening in Illinois.