Trump fires Black officials, Tish James indicted, Drake lawsuit dismissed
Get ready for another packed newsletter! Thank you for your continued support.
What I’m Reading
Trump boosts HBCU funding despite his attacks on DEI programs. Here is why some experts believe this is happening, CNN
The Trump administration recently announced it would increase funding for historically Black colleges and universities, leading HBCU advocates to cheer the move. However, CNN’s Nicquel Terry Ellis spoke with higher education experts who are skeptical of the president’s motives.
Why are Black families falling through America’s safety net?, Harper’s Bazaar
In her new book, Christina J. Cross argues that there are serious limits to the conventional wisdom that two-parent households are the answer to solving our country’s problems. Her research seeks to answer the following question: Why do Black kids in nuclear families struggle to succeed while white kids in these families flourish?
Trump fires Black officials from an overwhelmingly white administration, The New York Times
The New York Times examined the series of firings of Black officials from high-profile positions in Trump’s overwhelmingly white administration.
These NFL cheerleaders’ careers took root on the sidelines of historically Black colleges, Andscape
It’s homecoming season! Andscape’s Mia Berry spoke with five NFL cheerleaders about how attending an HBCU helped prepare them for their careers.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: The Tuskegee Airmen were legendary. This year, the program takes off again…
California: Nakia Porter reached a $17 million settlement with Solano County after she was knocked unconscious and arrested by two sheriff’s deputies during a family trip…
District of Columbia: A new exhibition of the work of Gordon Parks, exploring Black religion and spirituality, is on display until December 1st at Howard University…
Illinois: In a Truth Social rant, Trump called for the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois to be jailed “for failing to protect ICE officers”...
Georgia: The highly anticipated Georgia Football Classic between Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State has been postponed and relocated…
Florida: Florida leads the nation in book bans, according to PEN America’s “Banned in the USA” report…
Louisiana: Calvin Duncan, a candidate for New Orleans clerk of criminal court who spent three decades in prison before his conviction was vacated, is facing attacks over his past…
Maryland: A jury awarded $2.35 million to a former Prince George’s County police officer who claims he was fired after refusing to falsify his report…
Michigan: Detroit is the nation’s most challenging city for people with asthma, a new report suggests…
New York: The family of 18-year-old Saniyah Cheatham intends to sue the city and the NYPD for $25 million after she was found dead in custody…
Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma is reviewing the Department of African and African American Studies following a report from the The Black Wall Street Times…
Tennessee: Former Knox County Commissioner Dasha Lundy has been named interim president of Knoxville College as the historic HBCU tries to rebuild…
What’s Happening
Right-wing provocateurs are heading to HBCU campuses this homecoming season…
A federal grand jury indicted Letitia James, Trump’s latest effort to weaponize the Justice Department…
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed the Rev. Yehiel Curry as its first Black presiding bishop…
Van Jones has walked back insensitive comments he made about online videos of dead babies killed in Palestine…
Civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson has a message for cultural institutions in the age of Trump: expand your efforts, don’t retreat…
The Fearless Fund says it will not back down just one year after settling a high-profile lawsuit that accused the venture capital firm of discriminatory grant practices…
Kamala Harris unloaded on the Trump administration with a four-syllable curse word that shook the room during her book tour…
Former South Carolina House Rep. Bakari Sellers will join Angela Rye, Tiffany D. Cross and Andrew Gillum as the newest member of the “Native Land” podcast…
Derrick Groves, the last of the 10 prisoners who escaped a New Orleans jail, has been taken into custody in Atlanta…
Capital B News: In a historic move, African leaders at the U.N. have declared the Transatlantic Slave Trade “the greatest crime against humanity” and are demanding reparations…
The Louisiana Democratic Party is calling for accountability after what is described as “wrongful accusations” made against former LSU football player Kyren Lacy…
Attorney Ben Crump pledged $50,000 to the NNPA, the largest Black-owned media resource in America…
Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson is running against 10-term incumbent Congressman Steve Cohen…
The government shutdown has shuttered Atlanta’s Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park…
Entertainment News
Drake’s federal defamation suit against Universal Music Group has been thrown out of court…
Keith Powers and Ryan Destiny are engaged. Shoutout to my fellow Detroiter…
“The New Book” shares a collection of Nikki Giovanni’s final poems, notes and letters nearly a year after her death…
Maverick City Music co-founder Chandler Moore has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the worship collective’s chief executive of diverting millions of dollars in royalties…
For Teen Vogue, Aiyana Ishmael spoke with Black fashion leaders who are still pushing for change in their industry following the promises made in 2020…
In a rare interview, Wendy Williams is speaking out about the complex fight surrounding her guardianship…
Ahmir Thompson’s Earth, Wind and Fire documentary is heading to HBO in 2026...
The trailer for the second season of “The Vince Staples Show” is out…
Sean “Diddy” Combs has reportedly asked Trump for a pardon, the president said during a press conference…
Carlos King sat down with Mathew Knowles, who talked about how his sacrifice helped shape Destiny’s Child…
One of the first exhibitions to be terminated as a result of Trump’s attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has found a new home in Fairfax, Virginia…
“P-Valley” creator Katori Hall spoke out about the Supreme Court’s decision to deny an appeal from Nicci Gilbert, who claimed the hit series infringed on her copyrighted work…
For Vogue, Marley Marius profiled Ayo Edebiri for the magazine’s November 2025 cover story…
Baltimore native and essayist Lawrence Burney spoke with The Guardian about his new book, “No Sense in Wishing,” and how it serves as a love letter to his hometown…
andrejgee spoke with Nas about the rapper’s series of albums and comic books with Mass Appeal that aims to give legendary acts their due…
The NFL lost again in the case brought by Black coaches who allege the football league discriminates in hiring practices…
Tonya Abari’s picture book “The Six Triple Eight” tells the story of the Black women who fought to enlist in WWII, and boosted soldiers’ morale by sorting and sending their mail…
Obituaries
Ann B. Walker, a pillar of the Columbus Black community and the first woman broadcaster to cover the Ohio Statehouse, has died. She was 101…
Kimberly Hébert Gregory, known for playing Dr. Belinda Brown on the HBO series “Vice Principals,” has died. She was 52…
Ike Turner Jr., the son of Tina Turner and Ike Turner, has died. He was 67…
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, former U.S. congresswoman and the mother of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, has died. She was 80…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 9 seconds…
Breast cancer disproportionately affects Black women. Make sure breast cancer screenings are a regular part of your healthcare…
Justice for Greenwood is hosting its second workshop in its fall genealogy series, which aims to explore the power of census records. The webinar will be held on October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET…
March On is hosting a webinar on October 28 at 7:00 p.m. ET, where civil rights leaders Andrew Young and Rev. Dr. Paul Smith will share what they’ve learned with today’s new leaders…
Houston! I’ll be heading to Afrotech at the end of the month to moderate a fireside chat with the chief content officer of Pinterest. See you there…
Verzuz returns live at ComplexCon in Las Vegas on October 25th. Get ready for Cash Money Records v. No Limit Records…
Note: In the last edition, I shared a story that claimed The Root was returning to Black ownership. However, the Root was never Black-owned.
It was previously owned by the Washington Post, Univision, Graham Holdings and G/O. This was an error by the publicist, who mistakenly believed Henry Louis Gates was an owner. Thanks to Richard Prince for flagging!
He's unhinged! Great read 👍🏽