Aliyya Swaby
Aliyya Swaby is a reporter in ProPublica’s South unit covering children, families and social inequality.
Need to Get in Touch?
Aliyya Swaby is a reporter in ProPublica’s South unit covering children, families and social inequality. Previously, she was a reporter at the Texas Tribune, where she covered public education and state politics starting in 2016. Her reporting in Texas exposed school officials criminalizing students for vaping, highlighted the state's role in remote learning failures and drew attention to mental health challenges among young children. Her series on the legacy of school segregation in Texas was a Livingston Award finalist. Swaby also won first place in the 2020 National Awards for Education Reporting for beat reporting that investigated the impact of the coronavirus on Texas public schools.
Before joining the Tribune, Swaby was a local reporter at the New Haven Independent covering public education, transit and zoning, and an independent reporter in Panama covering social issues in Black communities.
The Fight Against an Age-Old Effort to Block Americans From Voting
As a new wave of restrictions makes voting harder for people who struggle to read — now 1 in 5 Americans — Olivia Coley-Pearson has taken up the fight, even if it makes her a target.
How We Analyzed Literacy and Voter Turnout
For decades, researchers have studied the factors that influence voter participation, including the impact of educational attainment on whether people vote. But literacy skills are less commonly examined. So we sought to understand the connection.
How to Fix America’s Confusing Voting System
Voting can be a convoluted obstacle course, especially for those who can’t read. Here are proven ways of fixing the system and enabling millions more voters to participate.
One in Five Americans Struggles to Read. We Want to Understand Why.
This is not only an individual hardship but a societal crisis. We want to look at the root causes that make reading inaccessible for so many people.
COVID-19 Hit This County Hard. A Weakened Health Department Still Can’t Get People Vaccinated.
Clayton County has the highest percentage of Black residents in Georgia and the lowest vaccination rate in the metro Atlanta area. Amid widespread community mistrust, a strained health department struggles to figure out what to do next.
Has Your School Had a COVID Outbreak? Is Your District Following CDC Guidelines? Help Us Report.
As the Delta variant spreads across the country, ProPublica is reporting on the health and safety of students. Tell ProPublica whether your school is following CDC guidelines and whether any students, faculty or staff have gotten sick.