Sources Report ‘Far-Reaching Overhaul’
Resistance to Trump Is Gaining Steam:
Reactions to Anti-DEI Moves Are Split by Party
Miss. Judge Enrages Believers in 1st Amendment
Ford, Knight Foundations Step Up for Diversity
Public Radio, TV Stations Alter DEI Statements
3 Former Chairs Sound Alarm on Trump’s FCC Chief
AP Creates Unit on Local Investigative Reporting
. . . At Least 29 Police Recruits Died During Training
Education Dept. Warns on Teaching About Race
. . . ‘Eyes on the Prize’ Update Debuts Tuesday
Continued in Part 2 < http://bit.ly/41eIEEk >:
An ‘Internment’ They Didn’t Tell Us About:
U.S. Coerced Latin Nations to Turn Over Own Citizens
Trump AID Cuts to Hit Cuba’s Independent Media
Record Number of Journalists Killed Worldwide
Short Takes: “CBS Evening News”; “Sugarcane’s” Oscar nomination; Carlos Watson; Chauncy Glover; Adrian Ma; Black Sportswriters Hall of Fame; Sports Journalism Institute; reframing narrative on gun violence; Alice Bell; Oinika Obiekwe; High Country News; Damali Keith; Romina Ruiz-Goiriena; Harris Faulkner; Kadir Nelson and The New Yorker; George Polk Awards; India’s action against media outlets.
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“The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, ‘The ReidOut,’ is planned for sometime this week,” according to people who were not authorized to speak publicly, Benjamin Mullin reported for the New York Times. (Credit: MSNBC).
Sources Report ‘Far-Reaching Overhaul’
“Joy Reid’s evening news show on MSNBC is being canceled, part of a far-reaching programming overhaul orchestrated by Rebecca Kutler, the network’s new president, two people familiar with the changes said,“ Benjamin Mullin reported Sunday for The New York Times.
The Times’ Mullin wrote, “The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, ‘The ReidOut,’ is planned for sometime this week, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The show, which features in-depth interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, has been a fixture of MSNBC’s lineup for the past five years.
“An MSNBC spokesman, Richard Hudock, declined to comment. Ms. Reid declined to comment.
“The programming shake-up is the first major change made by Ms. Kutler, who was appointed president this month,” succeeding Rashida Jones, who in 2020 became the first Black journalist to head a mainstream network or a news division.
“Ms. Kutler has been drawing up a new programming lineup to jump-start the network’s ratings, which have outperformed rival CNN but lagged behind the longtime ratings leader, Fox News. . . .”
MSNBC’s maneuvering is no doubt especially of interest to viewers of color. Reid, Daniels, Murray, Sanders Townsend and Steele are Black; Wagner is Asian American and Menendez is Hispanic.
In 2024, according to Nielsen:
- MSNBC averaged eight times as many Black viewers as Fox News. The “average minute audience” for 2024 was 173,000 for MSNBC vs. 20,000 for Fox News.
- MSNBC was the third most-watched cable network among Hispanic viewers, behind No. 1 Fox News and No. 2. ESPN.
- MSNBC was the second most-watched cable network among Asian American-Pacific Islander viewers, behind Fox News.
Resistance to Trump Is Gaining Steam
Rachel Maddow has returned to broadcasting her one-hour show on MSNBC every weeknight at 9 p.m. Eastern for Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, maintaining that schedule until April 30. (Credit: YouTube)
Reactions to Anti-DEI Moves Are Split by Party
Americans are giving mixed to negative reviews to President Trump’s flurry of actions to disrupt and shrink radically the federal bureaucracy, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll, with Trump’s order to end all diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government drawing slightly more negative views than positive, Dan Balz, Scott Clement and Emily Guskin reported Thursday for The Washington Post.
However, “the difference is within the margin of error. Overall, 46 percent approve of what Trump has ordered on DEI, while 49 percent disapprove. Republicans largely support Trump’s position, while Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it. Support is greater among Americans over age 50, while opposition is strong among non-White Americans and those with postgraduate degrees.”
The survey also covered border issues. The Post reporters wrote, “Trump’s most popular initiative is on immigration, where 51 percent initially say they support the idea of deporting the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. There is overwhelming support for deporting those who have been accused of committing violent crimes, and a solid majority back the deportation of those who have been accused of committing nonviolent offenses.”
On another question generating worldwide concern, they reported, “About 6 in 10 oppose shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides humanitarian aid in low-income countries.
“The agency was created by an act of Congress, and the administration would need congressional approval to eliminate it. But the administration has all but shut it down by freezing funding and cutting the workforce.”
The survey comes as plans for economic boycotts targeting those complying with the anti-DEI demands are increasing. In addition, MSNBC and its star host Rachel Maddow are assuming roles as leaders of the resistance to Trump, some news outlets are reporting on the Trump orders’ negative effects on communities of color, and the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and Lambda Legal announced last week they had gone to federal court.
One such lawsuit bore fruit on Friday. In Baltimore, federal Judge Adam Abelson issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI, as Walter Hudson reported for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Abelson “ruled that the orders likely violate constitutional rights, particularly free speech protections, and granted the injunction requested by a coalition of plaintiffs led by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE),” Hudson wrote. The ruling effectively halts the implementation of Trump’s controversial directives that sought to reshape federal policy on diversity programs,” he added.
But legal actions are only one tool in the resistance.
“Media personality Roland Martin called for a February boycott,” Gavin Godfrey noted Thursday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “In Atlanta and across the country, conversations about how Black entrepreneurs should act in response to DEI cuts include targeted buying, boycotting or creating self-sustaining economic ecosystems. However, there’s level to this, and Black business owners who spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said arriving at solution needs to be a collective effort.”
The LDF-Lambda Legal lawsuit, challenging three executive orders from Trump related to DEI, accessibility and transgender people, was filed on behalf of the National Urban League, the National Fair Housing Alliance and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and announced Wednesday in a Zoom news conference.
At Journal-isms’ request, two officials with the Legal Defense Fund offered their thoughts on the role they think the news media should play as their struggle continues.
Meanwhile, the news industry is putting forth a united front in protesting the White House’s dramatic step of barring the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One over the wire service’s refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” — a targeting in which it is said that race plays a role.
Marc Caputo of Axios wrote Monday that the action against AP is due in part to complaints that the stylebook issued by the news cooperative and used by news organizations worldwide has become too progressive. Caputo singled out its decisions to capitalize the “B” in “Black” but not the “W” in white when referring to people; in frowning on the use of the label “illegal immigrant,” and in using the term “gender-affirming care” with regard to transgender people. This is all “AP guidance [that] conservatives find objectionable,” Caputo wrote.
During her return for Trump’s first 100 days, Maddow has been feeding fodder to those disaffected with Trump. Her headlines have included, one after another, such declarations as, “Trump oddly squeamish under questioning about contact with Putin,” “‘Very obviously Donald Trump’s fault,” “Red states feel the pain of Trump’s heedless funding cuts,” “Trump stunts on national stage cause headaches for Republicans dealing with local fallout, outrage”; and “Trump apparently oblivious to political damage of his embrace of Russia.”
Mississippi Delta Blues Trail. (Art credit: Greg Harlin)
Miss. Judge Enrages Believers in 1st Amendment
A Black judge in the Mississippi Delta this week enraged believers in the First Amendment by ordering a newspaper to remove an editorial criticizing the mayor and city leaders after the officials sued. The newspaper complied.
“Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued the restraining order Wednesday against the Clarksdale Press Register on Tuesday in connection with a Feb. 8 editorial titled ‘Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust,’ ” Andrew Demillo reported for the Associated Press. “The piece criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice about a meeting the City Council held regarding a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.”
In fact, explained Lici Beveridge in the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, the criticism was accurate. “Notice to the Press Register never happened, per the editorial, and by the admission of city clerk Laketha Covington, who according to the petition ‘forgot to e-mail a copy of the notice to [Publisher Floyd] Ingram as she customarily does.’ “
Regardless, Mayor Chuck Espy said the editorial unfairly implied that the city had broken the law with its meeting and cited another portion that questioned, ‘Have commissioners or the mayor gotten kick-backs from the community?'”
The races of Martin and Espy were not mentioned in the news stories, although in some, their photos were used. Each comes from a prominent family in the Delta. Espy is the son of Henry Espy, former mayor, and is a nephew of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. Martin is the daughter of Patricia Wise, a chancery judge for nearly 30 years. The daughter began her judicial career in 2019, elected to her mother’s seat.
“You are right Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin and Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy are Black,” Jimmie Gates, president of the Jackson (Miss.) Association of Black Journalists, messaged Journal-isms.
(Credit: City of Clarksdale Facebook page)
“The owner of the paper is Wyatt Emmerich, who is white and conservative. I don’t know why Judge Martin ruled the way she did. However, looking at the case from a distance, it appears to be a bad decision since the article in question was an editorial. Maybe there is something she went by in making her decision that we don’t know but I’m sure her decision will be overturned by the MS Supreme Court.”
Under the headline “Someone needs to read the First Amendment to Judge Crystal Wise Martin,” Mississippi Today editorialized Thursday, “Martin has issued a ruling that appears so unconstitutional, so anathema to accepted jurisprudence and so un-American that she’s drawing attention and criticism nationwide and abroad. . . . As longtime Mississippi editor, columnist and attorney Charlie Mitchell said, there are so many things wrong with this ruling, it’s hard to know where to start.”
Ford, Knight Foundations Step Up for Diversity
“These generous contributions, totaling $2.9 million, couldn’t come at a more critical time. As DEIB initiatives face increasing challenges nationwide, this funding empowers us to expand our signature Fault Lines® training methodology, create new programming, and deepen our commitment to building organizational cultures that truly reflect the diversity of our communities.
“ ‘Ford and Knight have been some of our longest-standing funding partners,’ said Martin G. Reynolds (pictured, above), Maynard Institute co-executive director overseeing fundraising and external affairs. ‘A few years ago, at the height of the racial awakening and pandemic, supporting this work was a priority. Today, we are facing an entirely different climate, making these grants all the more important, impactful, and meaningful. These funds will super-charge our efforts to build journalistic institutions of belonging and help us hire our first-ever development director, as well as other support staff.’ . . . .”
“Today we are going to celebrate diversity and learn to not be afraid of things or people that are different than we are,” reads this caption from 2020, from “PBS Kids.” “We will meet a band made up of kids from all over the world. We will virtually visit with neighbors for story time, and we’ll enjoy yoga, music and a finger puppet craft!” (Credit: PBS/YouTube)
Public Radio, TV Stations Alter DEI Statements
“Stations are removing and revising diversity statements on their websites amid growing attacks on DEI programs at the state and federal levels,” Julian Wyllie reported Monday for Current.
“Some of the stations that have made changes are in states where lawmakers have taken steps to limit DEI programs at public institutions. The revisions also reflect a shift in CPB [Corporation for Public Broadcasting] requirements. In October 2023, CPB’s board passed a change to the corporation’s diversity statement requirement for stations that receive Community Service Grants and began requiring ‘Community Representation Statements’ instead.”
Separately, an analysis of FCC data on public broadcasting “finds that most station boards fail to represent the racial and ethnic diversity of their communities, undercutting the system’s mission to reflect the people it intends to serve, “Tyler Falk and Owen Auston-Babcock, reported Monday for the publication.
“According to an analysis conducted by Current, fewer than 15% of 205 licensees for which data was available had boards that meet or exceed the diversity of the licensee’s city or state of license. More than 19% of the boards consisted entirely of white members. Just six of the 40 all-white boards were at stations in areas with a population that is at least 95% white. . . .”
On the diversity statement, Wyllie continued, “The Boston Globe first reported Tuesday that GBH in Boston had made changes to its website. A web page with the heading ‘Inclusion & Equity’ now redirects to a different page titled ‘The Four Cs.’ The new page no longer refers to an Office of Inclusion and Equity.
“In a statement to Current, GBH CEO Susan Goldberg said, ‘Our mission and values remain unchanged and we’re proud of the work we do.’ . . .
“GBH, producer of Frontline, Nova and other series, is among several stations that championed DEI-related work after 2020, when protests over race, police brutality and equity in the workplace were at a high point. The station also has an equity and justice reporting unit funded by the Barr Foundation.
“According to a Thursday report by Hell Gate, PBS LearningMedia, a website for educators run by PBS and GBH, has taken down LGBTQ teaching resources. . . .
“A PBS spokesperson told Hell Gate that the toolkit was removed in response to President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Last week, PBS closed its DEI office and fired the office’s two employees, citing an executive order by Trump. PBS President Paula Kerger told the Associated Press that she’s ‘trying to encourage’ stations to have lawyers review their circumstances regarding DEI initiatives.
“A review by Current found that several other stations have also altered language on DEI-related web pages or deleted them entirely. They are Ball State Public Media in Muncie, Ind.; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; WBHM in Birmingham, Ala.; Alabama Public Radio in Tuscaloosa; Texas Public Radio in San Antonio; and WUKY in Lexington, Ky.
Meanwhile, Collin Binkley reported Tuesday for the Associated Press, “The Trump administration is giving America’s schools and universities two weeks to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money, raising the stakes in the president’s fight against ‘wokeness.’
“In a memo Friday, the Education Department gave an ultimatum to stop using ‘racial preferences’ as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Schools are being given 14 days to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race. . . .”
The same day, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported separately:
- North Carolina’s public-university system is suspending all general-education and major-specific course requirements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In an internal memo obtained by The Chronicle, Andrew Tripp, the system’s general counsel, wrote to the chancellors that the curricular requirements may conflict with an executive order Trump signed in January that could threaten their institution’s federal research funding. . . .
- “National Institute of Health withdraws fellowship applications from minority researchers, then reverses course days later. . . .”
Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said the FCC would look into DEI practices broadly at many companies it regulates, starting with Comcast. (Credit: Pool photo by Jonathan Newton)
3 Former Chairs Sound Alarm on Trump’s FCC Chief
Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has ordered an investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Comcast, the parent company of NBC News and Universal Studios, Benjamin Mullin reported Feb. 12 for The New York Times, That and other actions prompted rare criticism from three of Carr’s FCC predecessors.
“Mr. Carr has ordered investigations into PBS and NPR, examined an interview that ’60 Minutes’ conducted with former Vice President Kamala Harris and announced an inquiry into the San Francisco radio station KCBS for its coverage of immigration enforcement actions,’ Mullin wrote.
Oliver Darcy reported Tuesday for his Status newsletter, “Indeed, it is exceedingly rare for former FCC chairs — Republican and Democrats alike — to speak out so forcefully against one of their successors. Yet, Carr’s actions have alarmed the three former FCC chiefs,” Tom Wheeler, Reed Hundt and Alfred Sikes, “all of whom now feel compelled to sound the alarm over what they see as an assault on the First Amendment. That kind of bipartisan rebuke signals just how far Carr is pushing the FCC into dangerous new territory, where regulatory power is wielded as a weapon against Trump’s critics.
“Yet, amid the daily chaos of Trump’s second term, Carr has largely escaped high degrees of public scrutiny. While the news media fixates on all the other chaos consuming Washington (and there is plenty), Carr has operated slightly under the radar. In a less turbulent moment, his alarming moves would be a front-page crisis that would saturate cable news — a regulatory body being openly transformed into an instrument of political retribution. Instead, it hasn’t drawn as much attention as it should.
“But the consequences of Carr’s actions will be felt long after the current news cycle moves on. His willingness to use the FCC to intimidate media companies sends a chilling message to everyone in the industry: align with the administration’s right-wing worldview, or prepare to be suffocated with scrutiny. Such threats — of naked government bullying — have a way of reshaping what companies choose to say, how journalists are directed to report, and what stories ultimately reach the public. Which is to say, it isn’t just a regulatory shift with no meaningful consequence. It’s a direct assault on press freedom, and it’s happening in plain sight.”
Carr responded to Darcy, “it does not surprise me in the least that they disagree with the current FCC’s agenda. Two of them were President Obama’s and President Clinton’s FCC Chairs and, while I’m not a doctor, all three of them appear to have a pretty bad case of TDS. . . .,” Darcy reported.
“In any event, all three of them have either called on the FCC to revoke Fox’s FCC license, pushed for the FCC to take Elon Musk’s Starlink licenses away from him, cheered on Big Tech’s decision to censor President Trump, or all three of those!”
“In other words, these three are not objective observers — they’re just partisans that are mad the Biden FCC didn’t do more to punish their political enemies. In contrast to them, though, I will ensure that everyone gets a fair shake from this FCC.”
- Acee Agoyo, indianz.com: ‘Collateral damage’: Indian education roiled by President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI directives (Feb. 3)
- Acee Agoyo, Indianz.com: President Trump targets Indian education in first round of executive actions (Jan. 22)
- Marielle Argueza, New York Amsterdam News: Black and Brown communities continue long history of mutual aid
- Associated Press: Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?
- Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post: A college president offers a class in standing up to Trump
- Joshua Benton, Nieman Lab: Trump wants news outlets to get on board with “Gulf of America” — or else. Will they?
- Jamelle Bouie, New York Times: Trump Is on the Wrong Side of History by Design
- Adrian Carrasquillo, “Huddled Masses” Bulwark newsletter: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is Torn at a Critical Moment (Feb. 12)
- Amanda Coletta, Washington Post: In Haiti, Trump’s assault on foreign aid is ‘a gift to the gangs’
- Daren DeFrank, The Wrap: Amazon Defends Scaling Back DEI Efforts Under Trump, Says They Were Always Going to ‘Change Over Time’ (Feb. 13)
- Gary Fields, Associated Press: To these Black retirees, the federal civil service now under attack was a path to the middle class
- Robin Givhan, Washington Post: Trump’s attack on the Kennedy Center is petty but powerful (Feb. 11)
- Araceli Gómez-Aldana, WBEZ Chicago: What immigrants should know about law enforcement amid increased immigration raids (Feb. 14)
- Jennifer Porter Gore, Word In Black: What RFK Jr. as Health Secretary Means for Black Well-Being
- Jewél Jackson, Capital B: Trump’s Policies Could Threaten Black Students With Disabilities
- Evy Lewis, St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Attorney General sues Starbucks, alleging hiring discrimination against white men (Feb. 12)
- Adam Mahoney, Capital B: How Trump’s Rollbacks Keep Lead and PFAS in Water for Black Communities
- Ruben Navarrette, Creators Syndicate: To Help Me Stay in the Center, Here’s Some of What Trump Did Right
- Dominic Patten, Deadline: Dissent Grows At Disney Over Perceived “Capitulation” To Trump As DEI Initiatives Diminished (Feb. 13)
- Toriano Porter, Kansas City Star: White men in Missouri are being left behind due to Starbucks’ DEI initiatives, AG says (Feb. 12)
- Mark J. Rochester, Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune: A newsroom loses a beacon: the departure of one of the nation’s few Black top editors
- Marianne Schnall, Women’s Media Center: Feminist Leaders Speak Out on How to Protect Our Rights (Feb. 13)
- Mataeo Smith, The Mirror US: Trump DEI purge reaches Disney as company SEC report removes mentions of inclusion
- Brandon Tensley, Capital B: How the Cutting of Federal Jobs Puts Black Workers at Risk
- Tom Wheeler, Brookings Institution: Trump’s CBS lawsuit ties media freedom to FCC’s regulatory power
- Juan Williams, The Hill: Trump’s idea of ‘competence’ — only white men need apply
- Richie Zweigenhaft, Guilford College, The Conversation: In spite of anti-DEI pressures, top corporations continued to diversify in 2024: new research (Feb.12)
AP Creates Unit on Local Investigative Reporting
“For the past 20 years, I’ve worked on, led, or overseen big national and international investigations,” Ron Nixon posted Friday on social media. “I am returning to my roots in a way with a new The Associated Press program to help local media.”
“Ron and his team will work with state and local outlets to cultivate stories and support their investigative reporting needs. This includes providing training for local newsrooms in areas such as open source investigative techniques; using AI for local investigations; producing localized investigative guides; connecting local newsrooms with AP editors and other subject matter experts; and working with AP’s data team to provide data analysis services, consultations and data distributions.
“The creation of the Local Investigative Reporting Program builds on the work that’s been done by AP’s Local News Success Team to localize national stories for member audiences and provide services and support to newsrooms across the U.S.”
Nixon told Journal-isms that the program “will use existing staff, but we will be adding more once we get a sense of the scope and scale of the program based on feedback. This is something that members and customers have been suggesting for a while.”
- Los Angeles Local News Initiative: L.A. Local News Initiative names social impact leader Michele Siqueiros as founding CEO (Feb. 11)
Black recruits represented nearly 60 percent of the recruits who died, the Associated Press found. (Credit: YouTube)
. . . At Least 29 Police Recruits Died During Training
The announcement about Ron Nixon’s new position came the same week as his investigative team found that
at least 29 recruits died during basic training at law enforcement academies around the country in the last decade.
Ryan J. Foley reported Tuesday that “Most died of exertion, dehydration, heatstroke and other conditions tied to intense exercise — often on the first day of training. . . . Others died several weeks in, sometimes after suffering trauma during boxing or use-of-force drills or collapsing during high-stakes timed runs on hot days.
“Experts and police advocates were surprised by AP’s findings — based on an extensive review of lists of law enforcement deaths in every state, workplace safety records and news reports — and said many of the deaths were preventable. No federal agency or outside organization comprehensively tracks recruit deaths, unlike officers who die in the line of duty. . . .
“Black recruits represented nearly 60% of those who died, a striking disparity given that federal data show Black officers make up 12% of local police forces. Many carried sickle cell trait, a condition most prevalent among Black Americans that increases the risk of serious injury following extreme exertion. . . .”
The new six-part “Eyes on the Prize III” includes the Million Man March, grassroots battles over housing and health care, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the criminal justice system’s impact on Black communities and fights for environmental justice. (Credit: YouTube)
Education Dep’t Warns on Teaching About Race
“The Department of Education sent a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter Friday threatening the federal funding of any academic institution that considers race in most aspects of student life,” Aileen Graef and Isabelle D’Antonio reported Monday for CNN.
“The letter — geared toward all preschool, elementary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies that receive financial assistance from the federal government — laid out a sweeping and controversial interpretation of federal law following the 2023 Supreme Court decision that gutted affirmative action. It’s almost certain to draw legal challenges.
“ ‘Federal law thus prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life,’ wrote Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights for the Education Department.
“The Supreme Court’s landmark 6-3 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard overturned long-standing precedent that has benefited Black and Latino students in higher education. Donald Trump, at that time the former president, called it a ‘great day for America.’
“Trainor said that although the 2023 decision ‘addressed admissions decisions, the Supreme Court’s holding applies more broadly. At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.’
“This interpretation could open a wide range of challenges to courses and literature taught in schools, scholarships for non-White students, and various student organizations, including Black fraternities and sororities. . . .”
On Feb. 13, Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for education secretary, most well-known for her former role as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, “cast doubt on the future of Black history courses in American public schools, saying she’s ‘not quite certain’ if Black history instruction would violate an executive order banning ‘critical race theory in the classroom,’ Helena Hind wrote Feb. 14 for Media Matters for America.
However, Jessica Blake reported Feb. 13 for Inside Higher Ed that, “McMahon did note . . . that all schools can and should celebrate Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She suggested that in saying individuals should be judged by ‘content of their character,’ King was supporting a colorblind approach to policy and looking at all populations as the same, rather than addressing systemic inequities,” McMahon claimed, misinterpreting the race-conscious civil rights leader.
. . . ‘Eyes on the Prize’ Update Debuts Tuesday
“The HBO original six-part documentary series ‘Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015’ debuts Feb. 25 (9 p.m-10 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO with two episodes airing back-to-back,” Stephanie Prange reported Feb. 14 for mediaplayer.com. “Episodes three and four will debut the following day on Feb. 26 followed by episodes five and six on Feb. 27 at the same time on HBO. All six episodes will be available to stream on Max beginning Feb. 25.
“The docuseries, executive produced by Dawn Porter (‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’), is inspired by Henry Hampton’s documentary series ‘Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement.’ The new installment of the 1987 series illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American civil rights movement.
“The new chapter of the series begins in the late 1970s and continues into 2015, with episodes examining the strategies of those who fought for racial equality across multiple decades. As in the original production, diverse teams of filmmakers bring each story to life by showcasing the work of citizens in an ever-more multicultural society working to achieve true equity. . . .”
- Jamelle Bouie, New York Times: Trump Is on the Wrong Side of History by Design (Feb. 12)
- Stacy M. Brown, National Newspaper Publishers Association: HBO’s Eyes on the Prize III Revisits Black America’s Modern Civil Rights Struggles
- Ileana Fuentes, CubaNet: Cuba and its Afro-descendant history (Feb. 10)
- Ruichen Ge, AsAmNews: New York pushes for AANHPI [Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander] history in schools
- Aryn Kodet, Reynolds Center for Business Journalism: Resources to support Black journalists (Feb. 10)
- Jerry McCormick, San Diego Union Tribune: Black History Month is about celebrating successes and struggles (Feb. 12)
- April Morton, WDIV, Detroit: This Detroit museum celebrates Black journalists
- Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Enjoy Black History Month—while you still can (Feb. 10)
- Renata Sago, Word In Black: Inspired by ’60s Asian-Black solidarity, she uses design to fight racism
- Antwonette Shade, Black Iowa News: The Second Evolution of Black History Month: A Call to Reclaim, Redefine and Expand Our Legacy
(Continued in Part 2) < http://bit.ly/41eIEEk >
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