10 Things You Might’ve Missed
*The views expressed in the articles below are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Who We Are Project. This content is shared for educational purposes to encourage thoughtful dialogue and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.*
1. House Republicans Just Passed a Voter Suppression Bill That Would Disenfranchise Millions | Mother Jones
Yesterday, the SAVE Act bill passed the House with a 220-208 vote. This bill allegedly wants to curb noncitizens from voting in federal elections, but the need to provide proof of citizenship to vote could impact so many others, including those who don’t have access to those documents and women who have taken their spouse’s last name and whose birth certificate now doesn’t match their legal name.
2. Do We Still Want Our Children Visiting Washington? | The Black Wall Street Times
With the Trump administration’s “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” executive order set to impact U.S. museums and institutions, a parent ponders on what version of our country she’s sending her child to experience in Washington, D.C.
3. National Park Service restores Harriet Tubman references to Underground Railroad webpage | The Hill
After public outcry over the removal of Harriet Tubman references to the National Park Service webpage on the Underground Railroad, a spokesperson for the department has claimed that all references have been restored to their original content. Despite initially defending the changes, the spokesperson now claims the changes were made “without approval” from leadership.
4. Maya Angelou memoir, Holocaust book are among those pulled from Naval Academy library in DEI purge | NBC News
The U.S. Naval Academy’s library has purged almost 400 books after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office ordered the school to remove books that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
5. 'All Boys Aren't Blue' tops the ALA's list of most challenged books | NPR
George M. Johnson's memoir “All Boys Aren't Blue” about growing up Black and Queer is the most challenged book for removal in public libraries and schools for 2024 according to the American Library Association.
6. The Biggest Threat to Public Education Is Coming From an Unexpected Place | Politico
Law professor at the University of California, Davis, Aaron Tang argues that despite his dismantling of the Department of Education and moves to censor what schools can teach on race, Trump isn’t the biggest threat to public education. Who or what is then? The Supreme Court of the United States.
7. 'What did I say in class today?': Teachers feel watched under Trump's anti-DEI push | NPR
NPR interviews teachers in Idaho and Oregon who are brave enough to speak out about the fear they feel for what they say and do after Trump’s "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” executive order and the Department of Education’s End DEI Portal.
8. US Supreme Court lets Trump cut teacher training grants in DEI-related case | Reuter's
Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s order to cut millions of dollars to teacher training grants if they promote “divisive ideologies”, including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
9. Democratic-led cities and states push back on threats to cut U.S. school funding over DEI | NBC News
State leaders in Minnesota, New York, California, Vermont, and Illinois are saying they will not comply with Education Department orders to purge their “illegal DEI practices”, regardless of the potential loss of federal funding.
10. President Trump loses bid to end Central Park Five defamation case | CBS News
Pennsylvania U.S. District Court Judge Wendy Beelestone has allowed the Central Park Five plaintiffs to continue their defamation case against President Trump over the latter’s false statements during his 2024 debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris.