J. Gabriel Ware

J. Gabriel is a solutions reporter at YES! Follow him on Twitter @JGabinator.

When They Couldn’t Afford Internet Service, They Built Their Own

In 2016, a coalition of media, tech, and community organizations launched the Equitable Internet Initiative, a project that will result in the construction of wireless broadband internet networks across three underserved Detroit neighborhoods. Leading the initiative is the Detroit Community Technology Project, a digital justice project sponsored by Allied Media Projects.

March 27, 2018

Houston Neighbors Said No to Walmart and Invested in Black-Owned Businesses After the Hurricane

Although West Street Recovery formed out of Hurricane Harvey, the organization doesn’t plan to dissolve once those in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods recover. The members know that another hurricane will hit eventually, and they want to be prepared.

November 30, 2017

Black Neighbors Band Together to Bring in Healthy Food, Co-op-Style

A decade ago, researchers reported that more than half of Detroit residents live in a food desert—an area where access to fresh and affordable healthy foods is limited because grocery stores are too far away. Efforts since then to bring more grocery stores—and food security—to predominantly Black neighborhoods haven’t worked. But that’s looking to change.

September 18, 2017

Blackfeet Researcher Leads Her Tribe Back to Traditional Foods

“Our people survived genocide in part because of [traditional] foods and medicines,” Beck says. “And because our elders are passing away and global warming is changing how our environment functions, now is a significant time to capture elders’ knowledge and our own community’s history.”

June 16, 2017