10 Things You Might’ve Missed
*The views expressed in these article roundups 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. Black Americans Are Not Surprised | The NY Times
Dr. Christina Greer discusses why Black Americans are not surprised by the America we are seeing and how by honestly looking back at our history and learning from it.
2. Trump to the USA: There Is No Rule of Law | Mother Jones
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the president has “simply floated” the idea that U.S. citizens will be imprisoned by the Salvadoran government, but that it would be restricted to only the most violent of criminals. While this practice is not even legal, the Trump administration has shown just how much legality matters to them.
3. Trump’s DOJ Has Frozen Police Reform Work. Advocates Fear More Abuse in Departments Across the Country. | ProPublica
Federal investigators had found that at least eight police departments showed patterns of illegal conduct. However, Trump’s suspension of oversight efforts has shifted much of the responsibility for reform onto local officials.
4. Trump’s “Opening Salvo” in His War Against Criminal Justice Reform Starts With This Nonprofit | Mother Jones
National criminal justice reform nonprofit, The Vera Institute of Justice, has had its $5 million of federal funding canceled by the Department of Justice, endangering their work around increasing public safety around the nation, improving prison conditions, training law enforcement, and mental health crisis response programs.
5. Trump administration freezes more than $2.2 billion after Harvard rejects its demands | NPR
Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, stated in a letter that the university refused to submit to demands, including eliminating its DEI programs, regardless of whether or not the federal government would pull their funding - the Trump administration did not hesitate to halt more than $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and contracts.
6. Columbia Vows to Reject Any Trump Deal That Erodes Its Independence | The New York Times
Following Harvard’s lead, the acting president at Columbia University has stated that they will also refuse to allow the federal government to make them “relinquish [their] independence and autonomy”, marking a departure from their prior stance on avoiding public criticism of the Trump administration.
7. Students sue US Defense Department schools for book removals | Reuter's
The ACLU is representing 12 students in their lawsuit against the Defense Department for removing curriculum and books that include the topics of race and gender, calling it a censorship issue and a violation of First Amendment rights.
8. NAACP sues U.S. Education Department over DEI school funding cuts | NBC News
The NAACP filed a lawsuit against the Education Department stating that the effort to cut school’s funding if they have DEI programs is illegal and prevents Black students from receiving equal education.
9. Lawsuit alleging environmental racism in Louisiana parish allowed to proceed, federal court says | The Grio
A civil rights lawsuit regarding alleged racist land-use policies in what has been deemed “Cancer Alley” has been allowed to go forward. The lawsuit argues environmental racism is why 20 out of 24 industrial facilities were placed in communities that are majority-Black.
10. Black maternal health means navigating a broken system. But there is hope | The Guardian
Venice Haynes, senior director of research and community engagement for United States of Care, puts a spotlight on the amazing work being done by Black communities to combat the horrifically disproportionate rates of maternal mortality for Black women in our country.