Kenya Downs

Global Nation Multiplatform Editor and Reporter

Kenya Downs is an editor and reporter for Global Nations' education coverage.

I was a multiplatform editor and reporter focused on education for PRI's Global Nation. My area of concentration is on issues of race and social justice, as well as news updates and features from throughout the African Diaspora, particularly the Caribbean. I love exploring the nuanced, going behind the headlines to uncover the why and how. But I especially enjoy being a catalyst for people of color to share their stories in their own words.I left PRI in 2018.

Camila Duarte rallies her fellow students at Pompano Beach High School

For immigrant students, joining the ‘March for Our Lives’ is a fight for their own

March 23, 2018Justice

As many thousands of students head to Washington, DC, for the student-led March for Our Lives, immigrant students are coming forward to lend their voices to the fight for gun reform.

A woman looks at photographs on the wall.

It was once easier to go unnoticed, but some DACA recipients from Europe and Canada say they are ready to join the immigration fight

March 6, 2018Justice

(Left to right): Indira Marquez Robles, Dustin Henderson, Maria Geneva Reyes, Mwewa Mwange and Jasiel López (left to right) are recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Nearly 40 percent of DACA recipients are high school or college students. Now their future is in limbo.

January 17, 2018Jobs

A woman riding the train looks out of the window.

DACA gave her courage to fight anti-immigrant bias and white supremacy

January 9, 2018Education

A man leans on a colorfully painted wall and looks over his right shoulder.

On his commute to campus he could soon risk a ticket — and deportation

January 5, 2018Conflict

Trump administration decision forces Haitian families to confront an uncertain future in the US

November 21, 2017Conflict

President Donald Trump’s decision to end temporary protections for Haitian immigrants shocked recipients, many of whom are now faced with returning to a country they haven’t seen in years.

Window with poster about how to handle immigration raids, man behind at table

The deadline to renew DACA is here, but 36,000 people still have not applied

October 5, 2017Justice

About 154,000 people are eligible to renew. As of Thursday morning, many still had not applied — cost, the difficulty in getting legal help and fear of how the government will treat them are likely reasons.

How do tensions with the White House impact HBCU diversity?

September 29, 2017Education

After a scaled-down annual summit, tensions between the Trump administration and leaders of historically black colleges and universities continue to mount. And some worry it’s their ethnic diversity that could take the biggest hit, a diversity some don’t even know exists.

After pummeling Dominica, Hurricane Maria forces Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands to brace for impact

September 19, 2017Development

“I am at the mercy of the hurricane. My roof is gone. House is flooding,” Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit posted on Facebook.

How can a ‘sanctuary school’ protect its DACA students?

September 8, 2017Justice

As DACA recipients grapple with their legal options, many universities are now assessing how their “sanctuary” status can go from symbolic to proactive.