Trump’s chaotic week, DEI blamed in DC crash, brawl in Thornton Township
If you're feeling like social media is overwhelming, this weekly email serves as a recap. Please feel free to share it with others! Word of mouth helps it grow.
What I’m Reading
On Monday, President Donald Trump issued an order to freeze all federal grants and loans, causing widespread panic and confusion across the country. A federal judge blocked the order before it went into effect, setting up a fight in court—which appears to have been the point of the order all along.
The Trump administration rescinded the memo Wednesday and then said the policy remains in effect minutes later, claiming they only did it to “end any confusion created by the court's injunction.” Spoiler alert: It did not end any confusion. We will know more next week.
, a Congress reporter, will be a valuable resource for understanding what’s happening moving forward. He spoke to several Democratic senators about the “chaos.”Medical school acceptances for Black students are declining. A movement wants to make change, CBS News
As the fight against DEI continues, the acceptance rates of Black applicants into medical schools are declining. For CBS News, Michelle Miller spoke with Dr. Russell Ledet about his foundation, The 15 White Coats, and how it is pushing to change the narrative.
Original ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star Garrett Morris Talks About Marching in the ’60s, Racism at ‘SNL’, Richard Pryor, and Why Sun Ra is Better Than Mozart, GQ
Living legend Garrett Morris, one of the original stars of “Saturday Night Live,” spoke at length with GQ Magazine on everything from marching during the civil rights movement to the pressures of being the show’s first Black cast member and the genius of Sun Ra.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: The wife of John Reed, a 72-year-old veteran beaten to death by a cellmate at the Macon County jail, has filed a civil rights lawsuit…
California: Earlier this month, Marin County swore in its first Black board member in its 175-year history — Brian Colbert…
Colorado: Denver will pay nearly $1 million to protesters injured by police during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 — again…
District of Columbia: Trump bizarrely blamed DEI for this week’s horrific aviation disaster — even though there’s *zero* evidence the policies had anything to do with the collision…
Illinois: The Thornton Township Board of Trustees meeting turned into a full-out brawl after an activist hurled an expletive at supervisor Tiffany Henyard…
Massachusetts: Harvard has laid off the staff of the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program, choosing to outsource the work instead…
Mississippi:
talked with filmmaker Terrence Zebedee Johnson about the “deep family and ancestral ties that keep him rooted” in the state…New Jersey: Rutgers University canceled an educational conference on HBCUs in the wake of Trump’s executive order dismantling DEI…
Ohio: A politician told me he was told not to mention diversity, equity and inclusion during his keynote speech at the Columbus VA's annual MLK luncheon. Also: Face2Face Africa picked up my story…
South Carolina: Marion Bowman Jr has been locked in a solitary cell for 135 days, waiting for the state to kill him. “I won’t let the prison turn me into an animal,” he said…
Texas: Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has been named city manager for Dallas, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position…
What’s Happening
ICYMI: The Air Force has reversed its decision to remove courses with videos relating to the legendary Tuskegee Airmen following intense backlash. I wrote about the ordeal…
Aallyah Wright for Capital B: Congress failed to renew a critical funding program for rural schools, which means communities in over 700 counties will lose millions of dollars…
While some companies are steering away from DEI, others are standing by their commitments. Also, for The Washington Post, Amber Ferguson covered the backlash Target has received…
Speaking of DEI, the National Gallery of Art is ending its DEI programs due to Trump’s executive order…A grassroots network of college leaders are working together to fight the anti-DEI chaos…
For Capital B, Adam Mahoney talked with Black Altadena residents about the poor emergency alert system that led to delayed evacuations…
Black educators are coming together on TikTok to share invaluable information as “HillmanTok University”...
Ibram X. Kendi is set to join the faculty of Howard University this summer…
Black and Hispanic conservatives have big expectations for Trump’s second term. For the Associated Press, Matt Brown asked, will any of it work?... More:
talked with Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds, who defended Elon Musk’s sketchy role in the Trump administration…Take this with a grain of salt, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House “certainly still intends to celebrate” Black History Month. Notably, she didn’t mention the celebration by name…
Trump has signed an executive order to declassify files on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Here’s what to expect…
Male teachers can be strong role models for struggling boys, but few men are choosing to go into teaching due to the “teacher pay penalty”...
Entertainment News
More than a century after his death, New Orleans-born Edmond Dédé’s magnum opus — perhaps the oldest existing opera by a Black American — is set to be performed in full for the first time ever…
My colleague Taryn Finley profiled William Stanford Davis, who landed the role of a lifetime on “Abbott Elementary” at 73…
recently “launched a creative project on Black loneliness called the black alone”...
Temple gymnast Kyrstin Johnson's floor routine to “Not Like Us” has gone viral online, and fans can’t get enough…
“The Alabama Solution,” a documentary that premiered this week at Sundance, features leaked video detailing horrifying living conditions captured by incarcerated men…
Frankie Beverly, Prince, Roxanne Shanté and Dr. Bobby Jones are set to receive GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Awards…
The New York Times reviewed Imani Perry’s new book, “Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People,” calling its unique chapters “deep and teeming”...
Snoop Dogg appeared to respond to the backlash he faced for performing at an event celebrating Trump’s inauguration…
Stephen A. Smith appeared on Bill Maher’s show, where he blasted Democrats for prioritizing “issues that pertain to less than 1% of the population”...
The hit Louis Armstrong Broadway biomusical “A Wonderful World” has set its final performance for Feb. 23…
The cinematographer and camera operator behind the unique visuals of “Nickel Boys” talked to Reggie Ugwu about how they did it…
Former Disney star Skai Jackson announced that she recently had her baby…
NPR critic
wrote about Questlove’s new documentary on music at “Saturday Night Live,” and how it reminded him of his visits to the show years ago…Obituaries
DJ Unk, the artist who helped popularize snap music nationwide with his hit records “Walk It Out” and “2 Step,” has died. He was 43…“Walk It Out” defined a fun, hyperlocal moment in Atlanta rap history, Maurice Garland writes for NPR…
Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney who was set to become a law professor at Howard University this fall, was killed in this week’s plane crash. She was 30…
Henry Marsh III, a civil rights attorney who became the first Black mayor of Richmond, Virginia, has died. He was 91…
Thomas Gaither, a forgotten hero of the civil rights movement who introduced the “jail no bail” tactic at only 22 years old, has died. He was 86…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 40 seconds…
“LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH” is returning to theaters nationwide starting Jan. 31, but only for a week…
Have an interesting podcast idea? The US Black Chambers is calling on Black podcasters to join their network…
Are you a photojournalist? CatchLight and Report For America have launched an open call for photographers to join several newsrooms nationwide. The deadline is Feb. 3…
If you’re in Newark, Rutgers is hosting a series of keynote speakers, workshops, and panels to explore the university's role in movements for reparations on Feb. 5…
Duke University is hosting a free virtual panel on the organizing tradition in SNCC on Feb. 7 at 6 pm EST…
https://open.substack.com/pub/jasonegenberg/p/the-trump-overreaction-trap-stop-f98?r=3nm35j&utm_medium=ios
In a week that's been overrun with bad news, thank you for sharing this highlight from Mississippi!