Racial justice

This archive collects 125 solutions-journalism stories covering measurable progress on racial justice — from policy reforms and landmark court rulings to community-led initiatives and shifts in institutional practice. These articles focus on what is working, who is making it happen, and how change takes root in real communities. Reading here means following the evidence, not just the aspiration.

Tulsa elects its first Black mayor

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Monroe Nichols will become the first Black mayor of Tulsa. Nichols, a state representative, edged out Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith in a runoff election to become the mayor of Oklahoma’s second-largest city. Nichols’ election comes 103 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, when a white racist mob, including some deputized by authorities, descended on the city’s Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street. They burned down homes and businesses, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 300 Black residents.

A worker replacing a corroded lead pipe in a residential street for an article about Flint lead pipe replacement

U.S. announces 10-year deadline to remove all lead pipes nationwide

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President Biden has announced $2.6 billion in funding to replace all lead pipes in the United States as part of a new EPA rule that will require lead pipes to be identified and replaced within 10 years using the new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. The EPA estimates that nine million homes in the U.S. still have lead pipes. “Studies show … communities of color have been the hardest hit,” Mr. Biden said. “One study showed Black children were at least two times more likely to have elevated levels of lead in their blood than children of other racial groups. We have an obligation to make things right.”

Black woman smiling

Puerto Rico bans hair discrimination

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Puerto Rico recently approved legislation forbidding discrimination against natural hair and protective hairstyles in both public and private organizations, marking a significant step forward in the fight against racial discrimination. The new rule reflects years of grassroots activism and the personal experiences of those who have encountered prejudice because of their natural hair, particularly in Afro-descendant groups.

Shot of a young male doctor standing with his arms crossed in an office at a hospital, for article on HBCU medical school funding

Michael Bloomberg gives $600 million to four Black medical schools’ endowments

By / / Good News For Humankind

HBCU medical schools just received $600 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, with Howard, Meharry, and Morehouse each getting $175 million and Charles R. Drew receiving $75 million. The gift will more than double the endowments at three of the four schools, giving them the kind of long-term, flexible funding that lets institutions plan decades ahead — recruiting faculty, expanding class sizes, and offering scholarships without leaning so hard on tuition. An additional $5 million supports a new medical school launching at Xavier University of Louisiana with Ochsner Health. Black Americans make up roughly 13% of the U.S. population but less than 6% of practicing physicians, and research consistently links Black doctors to better outcomes for Black patients. Training more of them is one of the clearest paths toward closing that gap.

Indigenous person from Kogui people of Colombia, for article on Indigenous forest funding

New online tool is first to track funding to Indigenous, local, and Afro-descendant communities

By / / Good News For Humankind

A new dashboard is finally pulling back the curtain on funding for Indigenous peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant peoples who safeguard the world’s forests — drawing on data from 133 donors going back to 2011. The interactive tool, built by the Rights and Resources Initiative and Rainforest Foundation Norway, lets anyone see where the money goes, and where it stalls before reaching communities on the ground. It arrives at a pivotal moment, with Indigenous territories holding up to 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity and donors under pressure to honor major climate-era pledges. By making the flow of money visible, the dashboard turns transparency into leverage — a reminder that accountability is often the first step toward justice.