VOTING RIGHTS — The Supreme Court blocked the U.S. Postal Service from restricting mail ballot delivery in the 2026 midterm elections per Trump's executive order, meaning voters won't face new hurdles to mail voting. A majority of the Supreme Court decided to keep an injunction in place, with the court saying the Trump administration was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge. The judge had barred implementation, concluding immediate implementation threatened disenfranchisement of millions of U.S. citizens seeking to vote by mail. This decision protects millions of Black voters who depend on mail access in the final weeks before Election Day.
EDUCATION EQUITY — Black students have been excluded from high-quality mathematics for generations with dire outcomes academically and professionally; while Black students make up 15% of the nation's public school population, they accounted for only 6% enrolled in AP math classes in 2021-22. Quality math education prepares students to understand election systems and health equity, yet Black adults accounted for 12% of the working population in 2021 but made up just 9% of the STEM workforce. A report author noted the math education crisis is a choice the nation has made, requiring new choices moving forward.
HOUSING JUSTICE — Two major landlords agreed to pay $9.3 million to settle allegations they fed private rental data into RealPage software that drove apartment rents higher across Washington; JBG Smith will pay $8.1 million, while Mid-America Apartments will pay $1.2 million. More than 30% of apartments in DC multifamily buildings with at least five units and about 60% of units in buildings with 50 or more units have been priced using RealPage's revenue-management software. The settlement money will go toward civil penalties, payments to impacted residents, and legal fees.
HEALTH EQUITY — A Word In Black report finds Black Americans have major concerns about food safety and access to healthy choices at affordable prices; six in ten don't trust that food in grocery stores is safe, and rising prices push families toward cheaper, less nutritious options. A research director noted the barrier isn't awareness—it's price, proximity, and a food system that asks Black families to choose between what they can afford and what keeps them healthy. Roughly three-quarters of respondents said prices for healthy foods need to be lowered.
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A Bed-Stuy institution perfecting its bean pie recipe for over 20 years. Abu's serves soul food classics prepared with care, supporting the neighborhood's Black business ecosystem and cultural heritage.
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