Envisioning a Progressive Future for Lima, Ohio
Lima’s current mayor is retiring after thirty-two years. Sharetta Smith, his current chief of staff, says “it’s time for the next generation to lead.”
What Michael Stanley Meant to Cleveland
His story is the story of the rise and fall of rock 'n' roll in Cleveland—and of the city itself.
“As Though It Is Everywhere”: An Interview with Hanif Abdurraqib
"I feel close to my roots in a way that I don't know that I've ever felt."
On the Ice in a Warming World
For ice fishermen on northern Michigan’s frozen lakes, it’s easy to feel like climate change is a world away. But it’s only a matter of time before a warming planet transforms the tradition.
The Rubber Industry’s Toxic Legacy in Akron
The stories of workers and their families reveal "unintended consequences" for life and health in the community.
Welcome to Buffalo
A photographer reflects on the Black communities that have shaped his life in Buffalo, New York.
Desegregating Chicago’s Far Southwest Side
Neighborhoods experienced the wrath of white supremacy against a busing program to integrate schools like Bogan High School in the 70s.
Can a Community Water Lab Restore Trust in Flint?
The Mckenzie Patrice-Croom Water Lab, which opened to the public last year, wants to change the relationship between people and water in Flint.
When the Federal Theatre Project Came to Gary
The program's director wrote that "no federal money was better spent" than on a children's theatre program in Gary, Indiana.
Jobless and Struggling in Pennsylvania
Pandemic unemployment benefits are a lifeline for more than four hundred thousand Pennsylvanians. But payments stalled this year.
How Racism Makes the Weather in Cleveland (and Elsewhere)
A 2020 study found that formerly redlined neighborhoods are hotter than other areas in the same city. Here’s why.
The Unfinished Business of Flint’s Water Crisis
Many of the most important reforms at the root of the city’s water crisis remain undone.