African Americans

The Justice Department released a report Wednesday morning that was highly critical of the Baltimore Police Department for systematically stopping, searching and arresting the city's black residents, frequently without grounds for doing so.

DOJ's Withering Baltimore Report Says 'What Black Folks Have Been Saying For Decades'

6:45pm August 12, 2016

by Leah Donnella

"I don't know people who weren't aware of the stats that were just published. ... We already know the score," says D. Watkins, an author and journalist who grew up in the city.

Simone Manuel is one of the best swimmers in the world. But even in 2016, there are very few professional swimmers who look like her.

Simone Manuel Wins Olympic Gold. That's A Really Big Deal

3:21pm August 12, 2016

by Leah Donnella

When the 20-year-old won gold Thursday night, she wasn't just an athlete excelling at her sport. She was a symbol for what should have been self-evident all along: Swimming is for everyone.

President Barack Obama hugs Dallas Police Chief David Brown during a memorial service for the police officers killed in Dallas last week.

'Bias Remains:' A Week Of Strong Words On Race

12:00pm July 16, 2016

by Leah Donnella

Days of devastating events rooted in the tension between African-Americans and police prompt political leaders to speak frankly about bigotry and what they think should be done to stop it.

The Philadelphia group Black Guns Matter offered firearms education and safety training at Philly Fire Arms Academy in May.

After Dallas, Black Gun Owners Take Stock

7:00pm July 12, 2016

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Many African-Americans keep guns for self-defense, dating back to Emancipation. But the shooting in Dallas, and recent killings of black men by police, have raised hard questions for black gun owners.

Queue Listen Now

Muhammad Ali is remembered as a great athlete and humanitarian — and also as an incisive, defiant black leader. He died Friday at age 74.

National

A Defiant Muhammad Ali Was Cherished By Black Men

5:06pm June 06, 2016

by Karen Grigsby Bates

He was a great athlete and humanitarian. He was also a symbol of defiance for black men around the world.

Queue Listen Now

The sign, a private marker placed by the NAACP, and approved by the National Park Service, as it now stands in Army Park.

Do The Words 'Race Riot' Belong On A Historic Marker In Memphis?

8:03pm May 02, 2016

by Christopher Blank

On May 1, 1866, Memphis was home to a massacre that killed 46 African-Americans and injured many others. Now a historical marker shows an ongoing rift between white historians and black activists.

Queue Listen Now

Hillary Clinton Looks For Redemption In South Carolina

11:27am February 27, 2016

by Jessica Taylor

In 2008, Clinton suffered a crushing defeat as black voters rushed to Barack Obama — the beginning of the end for her campaign. Now, a win in the state would give her momentum for Super Tuesday.

African-American men who have sex with men face a high risk of becoming infected with HIV.

The AIDS Crisis Hasn't Ended In The Black And Latino Communities

2:16pm February 25, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

HIV rates in the U.S. have been dropping for about a decade. But African-American and Latino men who have sex with men still face a very high risk of becoming infected. Stigma is one big reason.

Demonstrators protest the police shooting of Michael Brown in August 2014 in Ferguson, Mo. A Justice Department report found the police in Ferguson levied excessive fines for small infractions.

For Some, Powerball's Promise Wasn't Just A Big Payout — But Stability, Too

7:53am January 25, 2016

by Michel Martin

Forget the fantasy of luxury. NPR's Michel Martin says that, when small fees can be more common — and more crippling — for many African-Americans, the notion of financial security is fantasy enough.

Queue Listen Now

Stephen Van Cleef, a fictional Seneca Village resident played by Billy Eugene Jones (left), meets a New York City police officer, played by Andy Truschinski, in The People Before the Park at Premiere Stages at Kean University in Union, N.J.

Lives Displaced By Central Park Take Center Stage In New Play

6:24am October 20, 2015

by Hansi Lo Wang

The land that became New York City's Central Park was once home to Manhattan's first-known community of African-American property owners. A new play explores how eminent domain forced them out.

Queue Listen Now