Credit: India Currents

The big idea: As Prachi Singh reports in India Currents, the alarming rise in adolescent substance use (drug use up 61% among 8th graders) demands better parent-child communication strategies. Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's advisory linking alcohol to cancer risk only raises the stakes.

Meeting the moment: India Currents' virtual Listening Circles brought parents together to share practical advice: start conversations early, involve trusted adults, explain real-world consequences, and equip kids with peer pressure resistance tactics.

The stakes: The dual challenges of navigating cultural expectations while facing intense social pressures make these conversations particularly crucial for immigrant families.

What you can do: Create judgment-free zones for honest dialogue, offer practical support like safe transportation options, and acknowledge your child's unique personality and cultural context. Building trust isn't just a nice thing to do. It's necessary for helping teens make informed choices in risky situations.

Read more at India Currents.

Credit: Black Voice News / Alyssah Hall

The big idea: Black Voice News writer Alyssah Hall reports on "Breathe and Bloom," a restorative gathering for Black birthworkers held during Black Maternal Health Week by the Sankofa Birthworkers Collective. The event featured yoga, sound healing, and community building, embodying their unofficial motto: "We are not here to be a bunch of burnt out Black women."

The stakes: The urgency couldn't be clearer. Black maternal mortality rates increased slightly in 2023, to 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, while overall U.S. rates declined. That's over three times higher than rates for white women. As SBC founding member Deidre Medley Coutsoumpos put it, these statistics are "terrible, horrible, no good and very bad."

The fine print: SBC honors ancestral wisdom through its Ghanaian-inspired name while working toward the first Black-owned birth center in the Inland Empire. 

Read more at Black Voice News.

Credit:  Capital B / Angela Dennis

The big idea: In the wake of Trump's Planned Parenthood funding cuts and amid a relentless assault on reproductive rights, Black women in the South face uniquely devastating barriers to abortion access, reports Angela Dennis for Capital B. From six-week bans to pharmacists questioning miscarriage medication, the post-Roe landscape creates a perfect storm of dangers for those seeking care.

The fine print: A recent federal court ruling blocked Alabama from criminalizing out-of-state abortion assistance, offering advocates a rare victory. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is reviewing South Carolina's attempt to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, threatening healthcare access for low-income residents in states with already weak maternal health support.

The stakes: Capital B reveals the existential threat facing Black women. They're three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications, yet face increasingly restricted options. As clinics close across Michigan, Tennessee, and the Gulf Coast, advocates warn that Black and low-income communities will suffer disproportionately.

From the source: "Just having Black women watch an entire system fail them is mentally and emotionally horrendous on our bodies... If you're not trying to kill Black women, what are you trying to do?" - Jenice Fountain, Executive Director, Yellowhammer Fund

Read more at Capital B.

Highlighting the innovators transforminghealth outcomes in our communities

The story: Trump's first 100 days have sent shockwaves through communities of color with dismantled diversity initiatives, ramped-up deportations, and slashed federal support—all while access to culturally competent mental health care remains spotty. As Ambar Castillo of Epicenter NYC reports, these aren't new stressors, but they hit differently when institutional safety nets are simultaneously being yanked away.

At the center: Psychologist Dr. Ryan DeLapp offers a lifeline through his REACH program and new book for teens. His advice? Take a B.E.A.T. (Body sensations, Emotions, Actions, Thoughts) to monitor your mental health, fill your wellness buckets and practice empowered coping. The secret sauce? Community connection and calculated action — in other words, knowing when to speak up, what it might cost you, and finding strength in your unique abilities. As Epicenter discovered, resistance starts with reclaiming your sense of agency.

Read more about Dr. DeLapp’s work at Epicenter.Credit: Epicenter / Dr. Ryan DeLapp

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