USA TODAY

Puerto Rico's Hurricane Fiona recovery efforts may be repeating same failures from Hurricane Maria, advocates say

After Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico, some residents and advocates are worried the communities that are being left behind in aid response are the same ones that were sidelined after Hurricane Maria five years before.

K-12 students are becoming activists, drawing on lessons from historic fight for ethnic studies

Decades ago, college students organized to push for ethnic studies. Today, the battleground has moved to the K-12 level, where the echoes of this movement in the 1960s and '70s can be heard in the rallying cries of student activists as they push for equitable curriculums and oppose an onslaught of so-called critical race theory bans.

'Zines' have deep roots in marginalized communities. Zine-makers worry those origins are being forgotten.

Zines have long been a way for marginalized communities to share stories, spread information, build community and organize movements. But many zine-makers of color say their communities have only recently received credit and gained visibility for their contributions.

Where are the lesbian bars? Owners say they haven't died out – they're evolving into queer spaces.

Since the 1980s, dozens of lesbian bars have closed. But owners say they're just changing with the times.

Teaching Black children to swim heals generational trauma and saves lives, experts say

Recreational swimming has a long history of systemic racism that "casts a very long shadow" even today, experts say. The scars of history are often deadly. Black children ages 10 to 14 drown in swimming pools at rates 7.6 times higher than white children, according to the CDC.

Native food is more than a Thanksgiving spread. What Indigenous chefs want you to know about their incredibly diverse cuisine.

Public understanding of Native food culture is woefully limited, chefs say, and there are few Native American restaurants nationwide. Experts pointed to many reasons for this but most are rooted in a history of cultural erasure and forced displacement.

What's an appropriate sentence? Truck driver’s 110-year sentence draws scrutiny.

A 110-year prison sentence for a Colorado truck drive who said he lost control of his brakes prompted national outcry that draw attention to The Centennial State's sentencing laws. 

Is math education racist? Debate rages over changes to how US teaches the subject

Bold recommendations to make math more inclusive are blowing up the world of math education. Opponents say the movement effectively dumbs down math.

'White supremacy colors everything, even art': Tattoo artists of color battle narrative that ideal skin for ink is white

Tattoo artists of color are battling a pervasive narrative in tattooing that the ideal skin to ink is white. Despite deep histories of tattooing in communities of color, tattoo artists say the myth persists, revealing racism and colorism.

Bolstered by legacy, Black distillers push for diversity in industry

A growing movement of Black distillers is working to honor the legacies of their ancestors and call attention to systemic racism in distilling. Among their calls to action is for industry leaders to recognize the historic contributions of Black distillers.

It's not just the Supreme Court bench: Lower courts with 'incredible sway' are not diverse enough

While the U.S. Supreme Court receives the most attention, most people's direct interactions with judges happen elsewhere in the country's 94 federal district courts and 13 circuit courts, where diversity also continues to lag.

Amid a rise in hate crimes, Black and Asian Americans are standing together: 'Solidarity is the answer'

Amid this rise in hate crimes, Black and Asian activists have intensified the rallying cry for solidarity between the two groups. The activism builds on decades of cross-racial organizing and a history experts say needs more exposure.

Associated Press

Coronavirus takes toll on Black, Latino child care providers

When Mary De La Rosa closed her toddler and preschool program in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, she fully expected to serve the 14 children again some day. In the end, though, Creative Explorers closed for good.

Artists, activists rush to save Black Lives Matter murals

During protests after George Floyd’s death, the streets of countless major cities became temporary galleries of artwork conveying collective pain and anger. But as these ephemeral artworks began to come down or be wiped from walls, patchworks of artists and activists rushed to preserve them.

Mutual aid networks find roots in communities of color

While informal mutual aid networks have sprouted up in response to the pandemic, mutual aid organizers and scholars say they have existed long before then. Few are aware of their deep roots in communities of color, where such networks have been built for centuries.

Kamala Harris win inspires women and girls nationwide

For countless women and girls, Harris’ achievement of reaching the second highest office in the country represents hope, validation and the shattering of a proverbial glass ceiling.

Racism targets Asian food, business during COVID-19 pandemic

As the coronavirus spread throughout the U.S., bigotry toward Asian Americans was not far behind, fueled by the news that COVID-19 first appeared in China.

AKA sorority members celebrate Kamala Harris inauguration

Following the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, AKA, the oldest sorority of the historically Black fraternities and sororities that make up the Divine Nine, called off inauguration events and urged members to stay home. So countless AKA members celebrated the historic moment in their living rooms, on Twitter and on Zoom calls.

Museums face calls to better represent people of color

Museums Are Not Neutral is calling for structural change, including in museums’ hiring practices, the makeup of their boards and their partnerships. They say museums should also return looted African artifacts, and other items stolen from marginalized communities and former colonized countries.

Tribes try to shield elders and their knowledge from virus

Tribes across the nation are working to protect elder members who serve as honored links to customs passed from one generation to the next.

Years of white supremacy threats culminated in Capitol riots

In many ways this hate-filled display was the culmination of many others over the past few years, including the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that gathered extremist factions from across the country under a single banner.

The Indianapolis Star

IU GPA calculator gave students access to other students’ GPA, grades

An official IU GPA calculator allowed students to access the grades of more than 100,000 current and former students, in apparent violation of federal privacy law. The university took down the tool Tuesday within an hour of being notified about it by the Indiana Daily Student. 

'This is reclaiming the block': 'Black Lives Matter' mural painted on Indiana Avenue

The outlines of the words “Black Lives Matter” stretched across Indiana Avenue. Black artists sat and knelt, filling them with color and the names and faces of victims of police brutality.

The cemetery documents Bedford's past. But its historic limestone monuments are crumbling.

Abel remembers Bedford’s golden age, when trains sped down tracks snaking through the town. But once propelled by rising demand for Indiana limestone, the city is now in decline.

The Avenue's Black drag queens cemented Indy's queer visibility. But history forgot them.

The Avenue's Black drag queens shaped Indianapolis queer history.

'A shining little smile that's now gone:' Nakota Kelly's family remembers the 10-year-old

Indianapolis police released grisly details of Nakota's death, shortly after arresting and charging his father, 37-year-old Anthony Dibiah, in the boy's death.

Fall of the Avenue: How developers erased Indiana Ave. while celebrating its jazz history.

What's left of the Avenue are homages to its jazz legacy in street banners and signs. But local historians say these nods to jazz strategically ignore the racism that led to the Avenue’s destruction.

Stunned by coronavirus, a college town slowly awakens to a surreal world

Spring break beckoned. Flights were booked. Then in one official email after another, it all began to crumble.

Indiana Daily Student

Bringing Hinkle's back

Hinkle's Hamburgers first opened in Bloomington in 1930. After shutting down last spring, Bloomington locals Richie and Janna Shields put their livelihoods at stake to reopen the restaurant and carry on its rich legacy.

Biomimicry-based techniques offer a different way to farm

While biomimicry is relatively common in biotechnology and engineering, Arty Mangan, the restorative food systems director of the New Mexico- and California-based science innovation hub Bioneers, said it is a rarity on farms.

News-Decoder

‘Brain waste’ exacts human and economic toll on U.S.

For many skilled immigrants like Amarasinghe, a slew of obstacles prevent them from contributing to the U.S. labor force.