Bertha Lewis, President, The Black Institute: I am heartbroken. Today, a great man has passed and I am deeply saddened by the loss of yet another mentor and friend to our community. A lot of what I know about Politics and…

The Center for American Progress recently published an excellent article detailing the impact the government shutdown has had on communities of color. Check it out:  Federal employment has traditionally been considered a secure form of employment, one that affords a…

Just 10 days into a new academic year, classes were abruptly over at one North Carolina charter school this year.  In September, parents who had enrolled their children in Kinston Charter Academy received a letter from the principal directing them…

More than any other public policy issue, health care is very personal. So it is not surprising that personal stories are a central battleground for the public perception of the Affordable Care Act. And it is increasingly clear that this…

What NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo Costs NYC Taxpayers: Scenes from #ChokeholdOnTheCity Dec. 3rd, 2015 Eric Garner Death Timeline: July 17, 2014: Eric Garner dies during arrest by police August 1, 2014: City medical examiner ruling Garner’s death a homicide December…

For Immediate Release: September 22, 2015 Contact: Sami Disu (917) 365-3563 or sdisu@theblackinstitute.org Statement from Bertha Lewis on Republican Presidential Candidate Ben Carson’s “Doubling Down” on Islamophobic Remarks  New York, NY—Black Institute President Bertha Lewis released the following statement in response to Republican Presidential…

The majority of children under age 1 in the United States today are children of color; that one simple fact means that our future will be very different from our current reality. Before we reach the end of this decade,…

NYC Myth vs FacT  Myth: Sponsors of the bill to tax plastic retail bags claim they are “single-use,” and “not designed for multiple reuses.” Fact: Not only are plastic retail bags reusable, but studies consistently show that 90% of people reuse their…

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2014 The Black Leadership Action Coalition (BLAC), the Bodega Association, The Safety Net Project of the Urban Justice Center and the American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA) today announced a pilot program to reduce litter through recycling education. Partnering with tenants' associations at…

A recent ruling by the Constitutional Court in the Dominican Republic to strip away the citizenship of several generations of Dominicans leaves no doubt that the nation has not left its history of abuse and racism behind. According to the…