The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, also known as the Freedman’s Bank, was established in March 1865 by white abolitionists, bankers and philanthropists. According to the Treasury Department, the bank was created to “help develop the newly freed African Americans as they endeavored to become financially stable.” Within the first few years, the bank flourished, with 37 established branches and more than 100,000 depositors in total.However, the bank failed after less than a decade, due to a...

In today’s economy, broadband internet is virtually essential. It affects people’s ability to apply for jobs or work from home, pay bills, turn in schoolwork or use telehealth services. But in many communities across the rural South, residents don’t have reliable and affordable internet access. Black households in the South suffer the most; 38% of Black residents don’t have home internet, according to a 2021 study. Some residents pay exorbitant prices for spotty broadband service or rely on co...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Time is running out for federal officials to prevent an economically catastrophic default on U.S. debt. I know! We’ve done that story over and over and over again as raising the debt limit — something that used to be a routine part of running the government — has become increasingly politicized.But at the heart of the debate over government borrowing, there is an uncomfortable truth: This economy only works, because we believe in it together. On a special...

When discussing the civil rights movement, many focus on its political and social implications. But we rarely hear about the economic ideals that drove the movement. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech starts with an economic metaphor. King describes the economic hardship Black Americans face: Nearly 60 years later, Black Americans are still waiting for the check to clear. When reevaluating the civil rights movement, it becomes clear that economic justice is one of the topics...

After the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the national conversation has been focused on the prevention of mass shootings at schools. Texas lawmakers have discussed practices and techniques that would strengthen the security of schools, from arming teachers to using bulletproof shields. In 2019, after a shooting at a high school in Santa Fe, outside Houston, the state allocated $100 million toward security upgrades to schools.By one estimate, U.S. schools spend almost $3 bill...

On Saturday, supporters of the President held a ‘Stop the Steal’ rally in the District. The President and his supporters still falsely claim that the election was rigged in President-elect Biden’s favor, without any sufficient evidence of election fraud. Later that evening, members of the Proud Boys trespassed onto the properties of two historic Black churches and burned Black Lives Matter signs.

Black churches have a long history in civil rights, from the abolition movement in the 1800s to the Civil Rights movements in the 50s and 60s. So, what is the Black church’s role in today’s fight for civil rights?

We speak to Rev. William Lamar IV, pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal about the Proud Boys’ protests on Saturday, and the church’s role in fighting for social justice.

Race is taking the front seat in American politics. After the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others, protesters flooded the streets, demanding racial equity and police accountability. President-elect Joe Biden secured the election, thanks to the surge of black voters of color in key cities and swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. And, Kamala Harris will be the first Black and South Asian woman to serve as Vice-President, in the coming months.

Candace Hollingsworth, mayor of Hyattsville, MD, is resigning from her position to lead a newly-formed Black-centric political party called Our Black Party. Our Black Party aims to prioritize the issues of Black people.

Are the needs of the Black community being addressed? What does the future of Black politics look like, in America and within our region?

As the results of the 2020 elections continue to trickle in, the journey toward D.C. statehood may be in jeopardy. In June, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 51, a bill that would admit the District of Columbia as the 51st state in the union. However, chances of the bill passing in the Senate in the next Congress seem slim, as Senate Democrats will not likely win a majority.

We talk with the host of 51st, a podcast from WAMU that covers the history of the District’s fight for statehood, what statehood might mean for D.C. and how advocates are fighting for that future. But — in this electoral limbo — how realistic is that future?

On Memorial Day, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after police officer Devin Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck. Floyd’s cries for breath, captured on video, became a rallying cry. The country watched as Minneapolis descended into riots, angry that black people are still dying at the hands of police. In D.C., for several nights in a row, protesters have thronged the area around the White House. Most of the demonstrators are peaceful. Some have turned violent.

The backdrop to the protests is a pandemic during which the relationship between black D.C. residents and the Metropolitan Police Department has eroded. Officers’ new power, to arrest those who fail to heed social distancing mandates, has caused tension between D.C.’s black community and police. Many residents say officers are not wearing required personal protective equipment while interacting with the public. These actions are perceived by D.C.’s black community as new additions to a list of grievances against the MPD.

Today we look at escalating friction between the MPD and the District’s African American community and activists. How did it get to this point? How might it get better?