Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 1132 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

American Democracy Is Only 55 Years Old—And Hanging by a Thread

Vann R. Newkirk II

February 11, 2021 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mississippi

The federal Voting Rights Act required states to ensure access to the polls for Black voters and created federal enforcement mechanisms. The law worked well in the Jim Crow South, but it wasn't built to deal with racial disenfranchisement more broadly. Congress and the courts have stripped important provisions from the bill over time, like those ensuring enforcement. A 2013 Supreme Court ruling dismissed the need for preemptive measures to protect Black voters, which created an opening for states to pass more restrictive voting laws that have created unfair burdens for Black, Latino, and Indigenous voters.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Seattle's Newest Community Hub Was Built, Literally, By Neighbors

Emily Nonko

February 09, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

A collective of artists in Seattle bought real estate for a community center with the help of city funding. Known as Black and Tan Hall, the space drew funding and sweat equity from community members who sought a safe and affordable place to gather. The initiative to buy the building is “an anti-gentrification model that combats displacement, keeps dollars hyper local, and sustains good jobs.”

Read More
Go to Original Story
An Atlanta Neighborhood Will Finally Own Property as a Community

Adina Solomon

February 09, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

A new model for community-owned real estate is attempting to bridge the racial wealth gap and build neighborhood wealth in Atlanta. Instead of watching prime real estate go to investors who would hold onto the building for a profit without any regard for how the space served the community, The Guild is purchasing local real estate. The organization has previously worked with entrepreneurs and business initiatives to boost Black-owned business profitability and combat commercial gentrification.

Read More
Go to Original Story
To Bridge the Digital Divide, Cities Tap Their Own Infrastructure

Linda Poon

February 08, 2021 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The digital divide has exacerbated the challenge of virtual schooling and has spurred communities to provide affordable internet access. Local governments, nonprofits, and school districts are piloting initiatives to increase digital access for children from economically disadvantaged families. Advocates are pushing for permanent solutions that last after the pandemic in lieu of stopgap actions that have been put in place specifically for virtual schooling.

Read More
Go to Original Story
16 Raleigh churches begin to chip away at NC's inequity in vaccine distribution

Adam Wagner

February 06, 2021 |

The News & Observer |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Raleigh, North Carolina

A partnership between WakeMed and Wake County Public Health made 1,700 shots available with vaccine clinics in 16 churches and a community center. Trusted messengers, like pastors, are more effective at communicating why people should get vaccinated and convincing them to actually get the shot. Local availability helps people overcome transportation and other equity concerns, like needing access to the county’s online registration system or waiting on hold to make an appointment. The sites offered on-site registration and on-site and culturally and linguistically appropriate information.

Read More
Go to Original Story
An Architecture Firm's Push to Build Net-Zero Apartments—on a Budget

Russell Gold

February 05, 2021 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apartments at Front Flats, a new residential building in Philadelphia, is powered by 492 solar panels that are wrapped around the building. The point: to demonstrate that developers can design buildings that are energy-efficient and be built at an affordable cost. It’s not clear yet if the building is “net zero” in terms of producing as much energy as it consumes, but residents are paying only $40 a month for utilities.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A GOP Governor and BLM Activists Agreed on Restoring Voting Rights to Felons. Will It Last?

Kaila Philo

February 04, 2021 |

Politico |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Iowa

More than 3,000 Iowans voted in the 2020 presidential election thanks to an executive order signed by the Republican governor after a protest campaign by activists to erase Iowa's permanent ban on voting by people with felony records. But that number was just a fraction of those newly eligible to vote, due to limitations in the order and a lackluster effort to inform the public. Iowa has a disproportionately high number of disenfranchised Black citizens who could be helped by a more permanent constitutional fix. That fix has now been stalled by the choice to act by executive order.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Can free cash really solve Philly's poverty problem?

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

February 04, 2021 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Universal Basic Income programs around the country have demonstrated the effectiveness of distributing cash to people who are economically struggling. Philadelphia distributed $1.7 million through the Worker Relief Fund in the summer of 2020 when thousands of residents were excluded from federal and state pandemic financial aid and plans are also in motion to provide cash payments to 300 families in need of housing assistance.

Read More
Go to Original Story
More than goodwill: New tactics used to attract new healthcare talent as shortages grow

Sydney Kornegay Afi Scruggs

February 04, 2021 |

FreshWater Cleveland |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lorain, Ohio

An initiative to draw more people to entry-level healthcare professions is seeing success in Ohio. A collaboration of healthcare employers is training and promoting employees to “strengthen the healthcare employee pipeline.”

Read More
Go to Original Story
‘Make no mistake': Drag queens are leading a racial reckoning in Chicago's famous LGBTQ neighborhood

Jake Wittich

February 03, 2021 |

The GroundTruth Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Black Drag Council launched after a series of protests that called on Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhood to address racial discrimination and oppression. A handful of businesses quickly agreed to a live-streamed town hall to discuss ways to increase inclusivity. As a result, a prominent host of popular drag shows was ousted for racial discrimination and the business chamber dropped the neighborhood’s nickname, “Boystown,” from marketing materials because it is not inclusive. The Drag Council has also raised tens of thousands of dollars in cash and supplies to support Black- and trans-led initiatives.

Read More
Go to Original Story