Willy Blackmore, Author at Word In Black - Page 2 of 19

FEMA is rehiring disaster workers ahead of hurricane season after months of cuts, warnings, and internal turmoil. Critics say Black communities in the South could again face the greatest risks if the agency remains understaffed and unstable.

Black Communities Could Pay for FEMA Chaos

by Willy Blackmore May 12, 2026May 11, 2026

As data centers proliferate around the country, scientists have found that they help drive increasing temperatures in adjacent communities. That's bad news for Black neighborhoods, which already face a greater risk of extreme temperatures but are also increasingly likely to live near a data center.

Climate Justice

“Data Heat Islands” Add New Burden to Black America

by Willy Blackmore May 4, 2026May 4, 2026

In a lawsuit filed last week, the NAACP says Elon Musk’s xAI is running unpermitted gas turbines to run a massive data center near Memphis. Left unchecked, the lawsuit alleges, the turbines will pump additional toxic pollution into majority-Black communities already burdened by dirty air.

Environmental Justice

Elon Musk’s AI Empire Accused of Polluting Black Communities

by Willy Blackmore April 20, 2026April 20, 2026

Climate Justice

The $20 Billion Green Bank Program Gets Another Day in Court

by Willy Blackmore January 5, 2026January 5, 2026

A new report finds most proposed petrochemical projects target Black and Brown Texans already overburdened by pollution.

Climate Justice

Texas Keeps Greenlighting Pollution. Guess Who Lives Nearby

by Willy Blackmore December 22, 2025December 18, 2025

FEMA sign on a wall, Washington, DC

Cut FEMA in Half? Black Folks Know How This Goes

by Willy Blackmore December 22, 2025December 18, 2025

Warning label from a pharmacy bottle of 'Formaldehyde', early twentieth century.

Climate Justice

Formaldehyde Is Everywhere. Get Ready to Breathe More of It

by Willy Blackmore December 15, 2025December 15, 2025

Climate Justice

New Proof a Federal Heat Rule Could Save Black Workers’ Lives

by Willy Blackmore December 8, 2025December 9, 2025

Dangerous toxic emissions in the atmosphere

Climate Justice

Trump’s EPA Moves to Kill Life-Saving Soot Rules

by Willy Blackmore December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

In recent years, climate change-driven weather disasters have sent homeowners' insurance premiums soaring in the Southeast, which is more likely to face devastating hurricanes. But the insurance crisis has hit hardest in Black neighborhoods that have faced historic discrimination, like redlining, which in turn made them even more vulnerable to climate-driven weather disasters. This home in New Orleans' historically-black Lower 9th Ward was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and never rebuilt. The insurance crisis has made it difficult for Black homeowners to afford both mortgage payments and insurance premiums.

Climate Justice

The Climate Insurance Crisis Is Crushing Black Homeownership

by Willy Blackmore November 25, 2025November 25, 2025