Trey Reed latest, Karen Attiah firing, Jay-Z’s casino dream struck down
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What I’m Reading
Trey Reed’s family calls for independent autopsy after he was found hanging in tree; police say video exists, Mississippi Free Press
Police officers told Trey Reed’s family that he was found dead in his dorm room, according to the law firm representing the Reed family.
The family discovered later that Reed was found hanging from a tree at Delta State University. They are demanding an independent autopsy, and attorney Ben Crump is investigating his death. An autopsy determined his death was a suicide, authorities said Thursday.
National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars, The Washington Post
The Trump administration has reportedly ordered the removal of signs and exhibits related to slavery at multiple national parks, including the historic photograph “The Scourged Back.”
If you hit a paywall, read: Trump administration orders removal of 'The Scourged Back' and other relics of slavery from National Parks sites in the Grio.
Charlie Kirk, redeemed: A political class finds its lost cause, Vanity Fair
For Vanity Fair, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote about how media members and politicians are finding ways to redeem Charlie Kirk in the wake of his death.
“By ignoring the rhetoric and actions of the Turning Point USA founder, pundits and politicians are sanitizing his legacy,” he writes.
What’s In The News
Across America
District of Columbia: 88-year-old Eleanor Holmes Norton is facing her most serious political challenge in decades — her former aide, Robert White…
Louisiana: For the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Stephanie Beasley talked with the Descendants Project on how they were able to attract support from major funders…
Michigan: Detroit is the asthma capital of America, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America…
Missouri: The state’s system can take years to resolve a police officer’s allegations of misconduct. Some officers simply move on to another department…
North Carolina: North Carolina A&T says it is the first HBCU ever to enroll more than 15,000 students…
Ohio: Records show that Black drivers receive 75% of the citations issued by a controversial patrol unit in Cleveland…
Tennessee: Trump directed the National Guard to head to Memphis, his latest improper use of presidential power…
Texas: Longtime Dallas pastor Frederick Haynes III will take a temporary leave of absence following a recent medical diagnosis…
What’s Happening
Karen Attiah, the last Black full-time opinion columnist at the Washington Post, was fired by the Washington Post. Read her column explaining what happened…Former President Barack Obama expressed support for Attiah in a social media post…Columnist Ken Makin found a link between the firing and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s attempt to silence Fannie Lou Hamer in 1964…
The Trump administration said it will redirect $435 million to HBCUs and tribal campuses while defunding grant programs at other institutions…Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, said this funding “should not come at the expense of funding Minority Serving Institutions, which are also in need of this funding”...
“The Black unemployment rate is rising at the fastest pace since 2020, erasing historic progress that was made during the post-pandemic recovery,” Jarrell Dillard writes for Bloomberg…
The Trump administration has ended multiple federal projects geared toward addressing environmental and health issues in predominantly Black communities across southern Black communities…
Trump and the GOP’s redrawing of congressional district boundaries is worrying Black voters, and prompting some to call for a “second Civil Rights Movement”...
In a passionate sermon that went viral, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley called out the “selective rage” taking place over Charlie Kirk’s killing…
The Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. and the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) have released The Media Guide for Reporting on Missing Persons Cases. As president of the WABJ, I am proud of this work. Read about it in Black Enterprise…
An appeals court ruled that Lisa Cook can remain a Federal Reserve governor, rebuffing Trump’s efforts to remove her just ahead of a key vote on interest rates…
The Dept. of Justice has removed a study showing that white supremacist and far-right violence “continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism” in the United States…
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is completely free from federal interference. It is expanding at the right time…
Duke University's School of Medicine abruptly shut down a graduate student support program and its DEI office, without warning students or faculty...
Uncle Nearest and Nearest Green Distillery might be a step closer toward filing for bankruptcy, according to a report…
Aliyah Jones created a fake LinkedIn account of a white woman for several months and received more recruiter messages than her real profile. She talked with Maxine Harrison of Refinery29 about the experiment...
Entertainment News
From the Emmys: “Severance" actor Tramell Tillman won the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. He is the first Black or gay man ever to win the award…Fatima Cortez Todd, widow of Tony Todd, expressed disappointment that the late “Candyman” star was left out of the "In Memoriam" segment of the Emmys…
Cardi B revealed to Gayle King she and her boyfriend Stefon Diggs are having a child, although the internet seems to have known for a while…
Jay-Z’s push to place a casino in Times Square may be over after a committee denied the bid in a four-to-two vote…Read more about the war over Jay-Z’s New York City casino…
"Dreamgirls" is headed back to Broadway four decades after its debut...
Tessa Thompson sat down with The New York Times to discuss her upcoming role in “Hedda” as a reimagined character — queer and biracial…
87-year-old Cecil Williams — famous for his 1956 photo of himself drinking from a "White Only" fountain — walked down the runway to "Neva Scared" during New York Fashion Week…
For Vulture, Shamira Ibrahim talked with Sherri Shepherd for a wide-ranging interview that touched on her arrest, her relationship with Wendy Williams and much more…
Stephen A. Smith is now making around $40 million a year between ESPN and his new show on SiriusXM. The Athletic explores what’s next for the pundit…
For Andscape, Justin Tinsley wrote about the word that defines Terence "Bud" Crawford: “Generational”…
For the New York Times, critic Maya Phillips reviewed Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, “The Brothers Size,” which is celebrating its 20th anniversary…
In a shocker, Ego Nwodim announced she's leaving “Saturday Night Live” after seven seasons…
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone just won gold in the women’s 400 with the second fastest time ever…
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow Tenisha Warner addressed the public for the first time, announcing that she and her daughter are launching a foundation in his honor...
“Allen Iv3rson,” a three-part documentary on the former NBA superstar, will hit Prime Video on October 23…
My colleague Njera Perkins wrote about “Seen & Heard,” HBO’s two-part documentary on the history of Black representation on TV…
Obituaries
Earl Stanford Richardson, the transformative leader who served as the ninth president of Morgan State University for nearly 30 years, has died. He was 81…
La'tayvia Deshay Ransom, who created a huge following on YouTube as the gaming creator Tayta Games, has died. She was 21…
Keith Nunnally, one half of the musical duo JM Silk and known for the hit “Jack Your Body,” has died. He was 65…
Jade McKissic, a University of Houston student who went missing last week, has been found dead. She was 20…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 19 seconds…
Today at noon ET, the 75 million will have an “unfiltered conversation on the challenges facing Black women in the American economy” on Instagram Live…
Howard University and Hampton University are facing off this Saturday at 4 pm in Washington, DC. Find more details here...
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will host its 53rd Annual Legislative Conference next week. There will be many events and panels taking place in Washington, DC, including a happy hour at the Go-Go Museum, a reception on Black maternal health, a talk on Black women and work, and much more…Here’s my list of events for the week…
The deadline to submit proposals for the 11th annual conference of the African American Intellectual History Society is September 30…
The tickets for the WABJ’s 50th anniversary scholarship and awards gala are now on sale! This is my first gala as chapter president. If your company would be interested in sponsoring, please reach out to info@wabjdc.org…
Excellent round-up of stories as usual. Thank you for this!
This is much needed reporting! And I can’t help but wonder- TACO doesn’t like one historical photograph, so people are just going to remove it? Why don’t they refuse to do it?