RIP Dexter Scott King, Black student with locs targeted, Black Crossword book
RIP Dexter Scott King, Black student with locs targeted, Black Crossword book
Friday, January 26, 2024.
What I’m Reading
‘America Is Under Attack’: Inside the Anti-D.E.I. Crusade, The New York Times
The New York Times has published a comprehensive article detailing the backlash against so-called “wokeism,” and how the movement has led a growing number of states to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities. They have obtained thousands of emails and other documents that reveal the playbook behind the anti-DEI campaign.
When Families Need Housing, Georgia Will Pay for Foster Care Rather Than Provide Assistance, Propublica
Brittany Wise, a mother in Georgia, asked the Division of Family and Children Services for housing help after she was evicted. Her caseworker told her that "the issue is funding. DFCS isn’t provided with government funding to house families.” However, the state later paid around $6,200 a month to house her kids in foster care. She’s not alone.
Experiencing racism may physically change your brain, NPR
In what may come as a shock to no one, racism is bad. But did you know it can physically alter your brain? A growing body of research shows that racism in health care and in daily life contributes to long-standing health disparities for Black communities, NPR reports.
What’s In The News
Across America
Connecticut: Black and Latino residents in Connecticut face higher chances of losing their homes as well as getting evicted across the state…
Florida: MacDill Air Force Base officials have confirmed the location of the lost Port Tampa Cemetery, a burial site where many Black families were buried during segregation…
Georgia: The family of the Atlanta deacon who died after he was tased by a former APD officer is suing the city, the police chief and the ex-cop…
Illinois: Joliet police said Romeo Nance, a man wanted for shooting nine people, eight fatally, across four separate crime scenes, is dead…
Louisiana: State lawmakers approved a new congressional map, drawing a second majority-Black district to comply with a court order…
Maryland: Activists are fighting to halt further development on a historic burial site located beneath an apartment complex…
Massachusetts: Five years after Massachusetts passed sweeping criminal justice reform legislation, a new report released shows both key improvements and widening racial disparities…
Minnesota: A Minnesota State Patrol trooper has been charged with murder in the killing of motorist Ricky Cobb II in Minneapolis…
Mississippi: A Mississippi mom is legally challenging a county’s youth court system after her 10-year-old son was detained for urinating in public…
Nevada: School officials in Las Vegas have released police reports and body camera footage under court order showing a campus officer kneeling on a Black student last year…
North Carolina: In Roseboro’s Snow Hill neighborhood, a community has waged a 50-year fight against the state’s largest landfill…
Ohio: The suicide rate of Black youth has increased over the years. Ohio has developed the 'Black Youth and Young Adults Suicide Prevention Initiative' in response…
What’s Happening
Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died. He was 62…
The Supreme Court’s ruling intended to remove the consideration of race during the admissions process. So students used their essays to highlight their racial background…
Former MSNBC host Tiffany Cross shared the story of her split from the network — and she didn’t hold anything back…
Michael Leach, the White House’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer, is leaving the Biden administration…
Republicans are going all-in on a racist theory that too many unqualified people of color are causing all of the recent flight safety incidents…
Viral: A couple that went viral for living inside of a self-storage facility have been kicked out of their unit…
This week’s NPR Code Switch episode is reported by 17-year-old Fanta Kaba, who has aspirations of becoming a journalist. Listen and support: “New York City public housing is getting less public. How does that affect residents?”...
A judge has barred the EPA from enforcing the Civil Rights Act provision in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”...
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who for years faced speculation about his marital status, on Saturday proposed to Mindy Noce, his girlfriend and an interior designer who lives in Charleston. She said yes…
Black Americans are the fastest-growing group of stock buyers, with young Black investors fueling the surge, according to the Wall Street Journal…
The mystique of the Air Jordan sneaker has begun to dim, Ross Andersen writes in The Atlantic. He touches on the brand’s rise and fall, and rise and fall again…
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has announced the finalists for best new book in African American history and culture…
The only hospital in Belzoni, Mississippi, closed in 2013. Devna Bose spent the past three months reporting how, in the decade since, the town has suffered…
The Los Angeles Times laid off 115 jobs this week, decimating the newspaper’s ranks of Black, Latino, AAPI and other journalists of color…
A Texas school district superintendent defended the continued suspension of a Black student over his locs in a full-page newspaper ad. A judge has ordered that a trial be held next month to determine if the school district can continue to punish him…
Entertainment
John Boyega is set to headline “The Book of Eli,” a TV series prequel to the 2010 post-apocalyptic action film that starred Denzel Washington in the title role…
From Bianca Betancourt: Fantasia Barrino-Taylor didn’t take on the leading role in “The Color Purple” for industry accolades. She simply wanted to heal…
Colman Domingo to set to direct and star in a biopic about the legendary singer Nat King Cole…
Commentary: After last year’s “Hip-Hop 50” celebrations omitted much of the genre’s activist history, some lifelong fans say rap no longer feels revolutionary, Timmhotep Aku and Andre Gee explore for Rolling Stone…
Morehouse College is negotiating with Hue Jackson to become the Maroon Tigers' next head football coach, Kyle Mosley reports…
André 3000 has announced a tour in support of his surprise debut solo album…
SNL news: The long-running series parodied the Shannon Sharpe and Katt Williams interview. And Ayo Edebiri will host SNL next week…
Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci has pleaded guilty to violating Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, according to court docs…
Bernice King laughed at a viral image of a Baltimore Ravens fan who looks eerily familiar. The Baltimore Banner found him…
Malia Obama is exploring a career in entertainment by bringing her short film “The Heart” to Sundance...
George Clinton was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Watch the ceremony here. Garrett Morris will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 1st…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Also: Guess what? If you enjoy Black Crossword, creator Juliana Pache is now selling a book filled with these mini puzzles. Check it out here…
Dr. Uché Blackstock, the author of “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism In Medicine,” appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air to talk about her book, journey and fight to make medicine more inclusive. More: There are two upcoming book tours that may be stopping at a city near you: NPR host Ayesha Rascoe’s “HBCU MADE” tour and Dr. Uche Blackstock’s “LEGACY” tour. Don’t miss out…
The NAACP Image Awards nominees have been announced. Cast your votes here…
The Urban Journalism Workshop is back! We are currently accepting applications for 2024. We teach D.C. area high school students the fundamentals of print, broadcast and digital journalism. Tell your students or loved ones to apply! The deadline is Jan. 31…
The Ida B. Wells Society Investigative Reporting Internship Program is back! We desperately need more Black investigative journalists. Students and recent graduates, apply by Feb. 18…
The Black Women Photographers and Nikon $50K Grant Fund is now open for applications…
For musicians: The NPR Tiny Desk Contest is back. The winner will play their very own Tiny Desk concert and go on tour with NPR Music. Entries opened this week…
The Lovers & Friends music festival has just announced its lineup, and it is PACKED. The festival will take place on May 4, 2024. However, Mary J. Blige said her name was added in error, and apparently a few others as well…
Call out: Victor Qunnuell Vaughns Jr, a style editor at EBONY, is seeking Black freelance writers…
“Black Girls Who’ve Lost” is a support initiative aimed at “providing black girls and women with a safe space to grieve while building a new community together as we all navigate life after loss.” More info here…