Dr. King’s attorney honored, T.D. Jakes steps down, RIP Alexis Herman
This is a shortened version of the newsletter because I'm taking a break this week!
What I’m Reading
Trump Recasts Mission of Justice Dept.’s Civil Rights Office, Prompting ‘Exodus,’ The New York Times
The Justice Department’s civil rights division is hemorrhaging staff as hundreds of lawyers and others are running for the exit instead of sticking around to carry out Trump’s aggressive agenda.
America Is Demolishing Antiracism Five Years After the George Floyd Uprisings, Hammer & Hope
Hammer & Hope talked with leading Black organizers, academics and writers — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Kamau Franklin, Sandy Nurse and more — about the state of Black politics five years after George Floyd’s murder.
‘Pop the Balloon’ Was a Viral Hit for Black Daters. Then Netflix Gentrified It, WIRED
Jason Parham explored how Netflix took “Pop the Balloon,” a viral hit for Black audiences, and “watered it down” so much that it lost its authenticity.
Developing: There’s been a lot of back and forth since April Ryan’s initial story on the National Museum of African American History and Culture. A spokesperson for the NMAAHC said reports that the institution had begun removing exhibit items were “inaccurate” and “false.” However, Ryan told me that she stands by her reporting.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: John Scott Jr, who was Tasered and left hospitalized after an arrest, has died. His family said he "was in the midst of a mental health crisis"...
California: A tuition-free school for low-income families in the Bay Area created by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan will shutter next year…
Massachusetts: Amherst College saw a significant drop in Black enrollment. The school is trying to rectify that without violating the law…
Tennessee: A huge fire destroyed the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, a key location during the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike…
Texas: The former owner of the infamous Turkey Leg Hut has been arrested and is facing federal charges related to a 2020 bar explosion. He allegedly paid a group of men $1,400 to set fire to a bar owned by his business partner…
Virginia: Alfred Street Baptist Church helped eliminate student debt for 11 graduating seniors at the embattled Saint Augustine's University…
What’s Happening
For Capital B, Adam Mahoney spoke to public housing residents at risk of losing their homes with Trump’s proposed subsidized housing cuts…
The Justice Department has halted 365 federal grant programs, including funds for hate crime victims and the Emmett Till cold case initiative…
Fred Gray, the legendary attorney who represented Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, and John Lewis, has been honored with a statue in Alabama…
Students from nine HBCUs in Texas have formed the state’s first HBCU Legislative Caucus…
NPR: Federal work helped shape a Black middle class. Trump's job cuts have now upended what was once a steady path…
Flubbed camera work at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner confused Yamiche Alcindor for April Ryan…
Rev. William Barber and two others were arrested while praying at the U.S. Capitol, a demonstration against the Republican-led budget bill…
Bishop T.D. Jakes announced that he is stepping down from leadership of the Potter's House Church. His daughter and her husband will take over…
Over 300 descendants of the Six Triple Eight were at the U.S. Capitol as the only Black woman WWII unit received a Congressional Gold Medal…
Entertainment News
The excitement over “Sinners” isn’t stopping anytime soon. Director Ryan Coogler went on “Democracy Now!” for a different type of interview than the ones you’ve probably already seen…
Erika Alexander & Kim Coles are launching a “Living Single” rewatch podcast on May 7. Listen wherever podcasts are available…
VIBE: Stylist Misa Hylton is suing her former client Mary J. Blige for allegedly refusing to drop rapper Vado’s completed album until they cut ties…
Shelton Boyd-Griffith explored the EBONY/JET archives and found Black dandyism throughout its pages…
Simone Biles isn’t sure whether she will compete at the Olympics in 2028: “For me to come back, it would really have to excite me”…
Some good news: “Diarra From Detroit,” produced by BET Studios, will have a second season…
The South still got something to say: OutKast is headed to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this fall…
“Calvin Darden Jr. always had tons of cash. He took it from nearly everyone he ever met. The number one thing he took was his father’s name.” New York Magazine examined Darden Jr’s decades of grifting off rich celebs…
Obituaries
Alexis Herman, the first Black U.S. Secretary of Labor, has died. She was 77…
Clarence O. Smith, the co-founder of ESSENCE Magazine, has died. He was 92…
Dick Barnett, a New York Knicks legend and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, has died. He was 88…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute and 37 seconds…
The National Black Radical Organizers Conference will take place from May 30 to June 1…
There’s a petition to bring a screening of “Sinners” to Clarksdale, Mississippi…
“Sinners” is returning to IMAX theaters for a limited release due to overwhelming popular demand…
The Detroit Free Press is seeking high school students to participate in its apprenticeship program. Deadline to apply is May 16…
Read about the storied history of HBCU marching bands in JSTOR…