Lifestyle

Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III transformed a small Baltimore church garden into the Black Church Food Security Network, a national movement connecting congregations with Black farmers to fight hunger. In this interview, Brown discusses lessons learned, innovative church models, technology’s role in ministry, and his evolving identity as the “Plant Pastor.”

Black families facing food deserts and rising grocery costs are finding fresh alternatives through farmers markets, CSAs, food co-ops, community gardens, and mobile markets. Federal programs like USDA's GusNIP now help stretch SNAP dollars further, connecting healthcare providers to produce prescriptions while expanding access to locally grown, affordable fruits, vegetables, and proteins nationwide.

Climate change threatens some sweet potato crops in the South, with projected production drops by 2060, but this resilient, heat-tolerant staple may actually thrive globally as temperatures rise. From sub-Saharan Africa's drought-resistant varieties to New England gardeners now growing them under fabric tunnels, sweet potatoes could become even more prevalent on future Thanksgiving tables.

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, bringing attention to an inherited blood disorder that disproportionately affects people of African descent and can cause severe pain, stroke, lung complications and organ damage.

As federal health officials continue to investigate this summer’s outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has been tied to iceberg lettuce, many people are wondering: Is it safe to eat lettuce yet? For now, the answer seems to be generally yes – with an important caveat.

Gene editing reduced cholesterol by about 50% in an extremely small sample of patients over a year of follow-up, according to a new research update.

Morgan State University leads a national network of 16 HBCU and minority-serving institution research centers tackling America's Black maternal mortality crisis. Dr. Jessica Owens-Young explains how community-centered research, from doula policy reform to artistic performances, moves beyond documenting problems to creating practical, actionable solutions for Black communities nationwide.

The Community Concert Choir of Baltimore, marking 16 years and fresh from performances in Rome and Carnegie Hall, will make its Atlanta debut at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. Director Marco K. Merrick highlights ties to Sen. Raphael Warnock and the city's rich African American history, faith, and musical heritage.

Memphis City Council is weighing a one-year moratorium on new data centers after Elon Musk's SpaceXAI announced a fourth facility without notifying officials. Black council leaders say they need time to assess environmental, noise, and infrastructure impacts as the company's Colossus data centers strain local power and water resources amid growing national scrutiny of AI infrastructure.

Father Michael Pfleger, longtime activist and leader of Chicago's predominantly Black St. Sabina Catholic Church, has been reinstated after an independent investigation found no evidence supporting allegations he abused a minor decades ago. While Cardinal Cupich welcomed his return, supporters say the fifth unsubstantiated claim against Pfleger reveals a flawed church process needing reform.