In December 2024, SpotlightDC funded an examination by The 51st reporters Colleen Grablick, Abigail Higgins, and photojournalist Shedrick Pelt on how opioid deaths disproportionately affect the District’s older, Black male community. Expertly weaving together data, photography, and interviews, The 51st covered the history of overdose deaths in the District, the reality of the communities struggling with substance use, and the ongoing barriers to recovery.

The story was in collaboration with The Baltimore Banner’s and The New York Times’ series on the fentanyl crisis in Baltimore. In May, this series won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.