Author: UB Center for Urban Studies

Selected Media

Black people are dying from coronavirus — air pollution is one of the main culprits

By Jared Dewese

Read the full article from The Hill here.

“Harvard researchers recently found that even the smallest increase of exposure to a common air pollutant is associated with a 15 percent increase in the death rate from COVID-19 (on top of increased risk of lung cancer and heart problems). Fossil fuel plants are among the top emitters of this particle, along with other pollutants that can cause or worsen asthma and shortness of breath. Partly due to a history of redlining, African Americans live closer to fossil fuel infrastructure than the rest of the population: A 2017 joint report from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Clean Air Task Force found that more than a million African Americans live within a half-mile of an oil and gas facility.”

Selected Media

What’s Abolitionist Housing Policy?

By Krystle Okafor and Sophie House

Read the full article from Shelterforce here.

“Despite its complexities, abolition holds tremendous promise for the housing field. Technocratic solutions are an inadequate fix for housing policy’s bitter history of racism and expropriation. Such solutions also obscure visionary, bottom-up approaches to housing justice. Following abolitionists’ lead, we can think critically about the racism in our work, set ambitious end goals, build genuine relationships with frontline communities, and foster conditions and institutions to make those visions a reality. This trailblazing moment should not pass us by.”

Selected Media

Black media brands are investing in growing community coverage

By Kayleigh Barber

Read the full article from Digiday here.

“Michelle Garcia, editorial director for NBCBLK who joined the vertical in July, said that under a large parent company like NBC, she and her team of two writers are able to explore more topics that are of interest to Black readers besides the ‘doom and gloom.’ ‘Our lives are not just being shot and killed. That is not the totality of the Black experience in America. We experience joy and love and want to explore this in our coverage,’ said Garcia.”

Selected Media

Freedom Rider: Capitol Riot Brings U.S. Foreign Policy Home

By Margaret Kimberly

Read the full article from Black Agenda Report here.

“The United States is not a ‘beacon of democracy’ or ‘shining city on a hill.’ Euphemistic nonsense that hides criminality must be tossed out in favor of truth telling. This moment of crisis is not the time to sweep dirt under the rug. Scrutiny should begin at home and the acceptance of U.S. interventions in the rest of the world must end.”

Selected Media

Expert: How law enforcement would have treated a mostly Black and brown group of rioters storming the U.S. Capitol

By Douglas Sitler

For media contact information, click here.

“University at Buffalo expert Henry Louis Taylor Jr. can discuss differential treatment of people of different races by law enforcement, and what might have ensued had a predominantly Black and brown group of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol. Taylor, PhD, is a professor of urban and regional planning in the UB School of Architecture and Planning, and director of the UB Center for Urban Studies.”

Selected Media

For Black Americans, The White Terror In D.C. Looks Familiar

By Erin E. Evans

Read the full article from HuffPost here.

“For more than a century, Black Americans have documented and warned us of similar moments where racial terror and white supremacy were the status quo. Several instances — often left out of history books and school curricula — illustrate this narrative. They show a desire to undermine the ideals of our democracy, and demonstrate the hypocrisy in how police respond to Black protest and white lawlessness.”

Selected Media

The War against Neo-Fascism and White Supremacy

By Henry-Louis Taylor, Jr.

“We, the progressives, beat back by the neo-fascist movement by defeating Trump and acquiring control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. But make no mistake, the Republicans and Trump Nation will continue their intrigue.”

Selected Media

Co-ops in Spain’s Basque Region Soften Capitalism’s Rough Edges

By Peter S. Goodman

Read the full article from The New York Times here.

“The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the pitfalls faced by companies built to maximize shareholder returns. The shutdown of much of the world’s economy has sent joblessness soaring, threatening the ability of workers to feed their families and stay current on rent and mortgage payments — especially in the United States. Government rescue packages have emphasized the protection of assets like stocks and bonds, bolstering investors while leaving workers vulnerable.”

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