Amazon must pay more than $7 million in Prime Membership fees to 69,000 DC residents in two majority-Black zip codes, 20019 and 20020: the historic Anacostia neighborhood. Washington D.C. sued Amazon in 2024 for charging residents in these areas Prime subscriptions but not giving Prime same-day delivery services. So why would Amazon skip these neighborhoods? The retailer claims it was not discrimination and cited driver safety. However, Anacostia has historically borne the brunt of racist development practices that limit access to resources.

Chandelis Duster has covered national and international news, spanning politics, race and equality, entertainment, space, and science, with on-air and digital reporting at CNN, as well as bylines at NBC News and MSNBC. At CNN, she reported on race and equality, breaking major political stories, including investigations into discrimination against farmers of color, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and coverage of the Supreme Court. Her work also appears on NPR, where her stories reach millions...