Category: National

Congregation gathered at the Bethel A.M.E. church - Tallahassee, Florida (6792258210)
African Americans
News Observed

A Third of Black Millennials Left Church — Not God

Survey data shows Black millennials are three times more likely than baby boomers to be religiously unaffiliated, but most who leave organized religion keep their faith in a higher power — and are building spiritual community elsewhere.

Ebenezer Baptist Church - Atlanta Georgia - Sign
Bakersfield
News Observed

The Black Church in 2026: Perceived Decline, Persistent Devotion

A landmark 2021 Pew Research study found nearly half of Black adults believe Black churches have lost influence since the civil rights era — yet the newest national data shows Black Protestants remain among America’s most observant worshippers. Both findings are true, and the tension between them is the story.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

James J. Carter Installed as 84th President of the National Bar Association

After a rousing introduction by Stellar New Orleans Attorney James Williams and swearing in by the Legendary Judge Kern Reese, the National Bar Association on July 30, 2026 installed nationally accomplished Trial Attorney and Civic Leader James J. Carter as its 84th President.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

5 Deaths, 9 Cases: Louisiana Issues Flesh-Eating Bacteria Warning

Louisiana health officials are urging residents to take precautions after confirming a fifth death this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that can cause severe wound infections and, in rare cases, a flesh-destroying illness called necrotizing fasciitis. The state has now recorded nine cases and five deaths in 2026, a sharp increase from Louisiana’s typical average of seven cases and one death over the same stretch in past years.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Police, Protesters Clash as St. Paul Begins Clearing Pig’s Eye Encampment

MSR Contributing Writer Clint Combs delivers from Pig’s Eye Encampment, documenting the intense standoff between St. Paul law enforcement, community marshals, and local officials. As the city initiates sweeps across local encampments, community members and outreach workers confront police to defend unhoused neighbors, shedding light on shelter bed shortages, lost documentation, and the human cost of displacement.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Money Matters: The State of Black Media – and Why Its Future Matters to Business

Black-owned media has long served as more than a source of news. It has been a trusted institution, an advocate for underserved communities, and an economic catalyst for entrepreneurs and neighborhood businesses. From covering the Civil Rights Movement to spotlighting local business success stories, Black media has consistently filled information gaps left by mainstream outlets.

African Americans
News Observed

The Paperwork Problem Quietly Taking Black Families’ Land

Heirs’ property — land passed down without a will — is the leading cause of involuntary Black land loss, putting an estimated 3.5 million acres worth more than $28 billion at risk across the South. Here is how the mechanism works, and what remedies exist.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Credit Union Helps Students with Finances

About 400 students attended Delta Community Credit Union’s Cool Cash Money Camps throughout June in metro Atlanta, including in Decatur.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

A Death Revives Concerns About Police Brutality Six Years After National Reckoning

Not everyone at Lloyd Gilmore’s funeral knew him well. One woman, who had ironed her clothes two days in advance, said she just wanted to be there for his family. School-age children, guided by their parents, approached his open casket in the sanctuary of Cornerstone Baptist Church and peeked inside. Other people looked away.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

Fed Court to Decide Landmark First Amendment Case

On July 22, 2026 three federal judges in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals  in Atlanta – Chief Judge William Pryor, Judge Jill Pryor and Judge Andrew Brasher – heard oral arguments in the appeal of the 2024 unconstitutional conspiracy conviction of the Uhuru 3.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

COMMENTARY: She Is Me — You Are Your First Love Story

There is something beautiful about women who love deeply. We are the women who answer late night phone calls, sit in hospital rooms, pray for our friends’ children, celebrate others while quietly carrying our own burdens, and somehow find a way to pour from cups that have been empty for quite some time.