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Axios
a day ago
- Politics
- Axios
Juneteenth celebration expands despite civil rights backlash
Celebrations of Juneteenth, the new federal holiday that honors the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, are growing amid a general backlash on civil rights and discussions on racism. Why it matters: Like Pride, companies are pulling back of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives around race, and the Trump administration reinterprets Civil Rights-era laws to focus on " anti-white racism." But the popularity of Juneteenth and the momentum around the holiday appears to help it expand around the country — for now. Zoom out: Portsmouth, the New Hampshire city where an enslaved woman escaped President George Washington's pursuit, will host a gathering for Juneteenth of direct descendants of some of America's founding fathers and the people they enslaved. Oakland, Calif.-based Red Bay Coffee will release this month a "Juneteenth Limited Release" coffee named Intango Rwanda, a light-medium roast grown high in the hills of Gatagara Village by the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative. The Library of Congress commemorate Juneteenth with a "program focused on the themes of family and home." The library will encourage visitors to meet a staff expert from the Manuscript Division, and learn about items from the Library's Abraham Lincoln Papers. Organizers in Houston, north of Galveston, Texas, the site of the original Juneteenth, will host a series of events including a cook-off and a tour of historic Black neighborhoods. Portland, Ore., will play host to another Black rodeo on Juneteenth. State of play: The rapid commercialization of Juneteenth comes as some states pass laws limiting the discussion about enslavement in public schools and as some GOP lawmakers press for the return of Confederate monuments. Catch up quick: This is the fourth year that Juneteenth has been a national holiday since President Biden signed legislation in 2021. It commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, with words that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed by President Lincoln more than two years before. What they're saying: "Juneteenth is a reckoning and allows us to give the country another narrative," JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, told Axios. Boggis said it's also a time to remind the country of important allyships between white and Black Americans that helped to end enslavement. "That's part of the story," she said. Zoom in: From June 8-19, artists, historians and community leaders will gather for a 10-day series of walking tours, dedications, talks and film screenings in New Hampshire, a sign of how far Juneteenth are spread. Organized by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the events will be held in Portsmouth, where Ona Judge, an enslaved woman in President Washington's household, escaped to freedom and defied recapture. The events will include a conversation with Laurel Guild Yancey, descendant of Portsmouth's Prince Whipple – a Black man who fought in the Revolutionary War while enslaved by Declaration of Independence signer William Whipple.
Axios
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden amid more worker purges
President Trump has fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden amid a purge of government employees he believes oppose his policies or promote diversity. Why it matters: Hayden won praise for her focus on saving photos and documents about people of color, but had faced criticism from conservatives, accusing her of promoting children's books with "radical" content. Driving the news: AP first reported the firing late Thursday and said it came in an email from the White House's Presidential Personnel Office, which a White House source familiar with the situation confirmed to Axios. No reason was given for her dismissal, per AP. Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) denounced Hayden's firing. "Dr. Hayden is a trailblazer, a scholar, and a public servant of the highest order. She brought integrity, vision, and truth to the Library of Congress," Schumer said in a statement. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said on X that Hayden's dismissal takes Trump's "assault on America's libraries to a new level." State of play: The Trump administration has dismissed federal workers and purged government websites about communities of color following several of the president's executive orders. The orders follow the administration's reinterpretations of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on " anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color. In March, a group of federal employees who were fired for participating in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities filed a complaint to regain their jobs and their back pay. Zoom in: Hayden, whose 10-year term was set to expire next year, was the first woman and Black American to be the Librarian of Congress. She was only the 14th Librarian of Congress in history since the Library of Congress was established in 1800. Hayden had led Baltimore's library system before coming to the Library of Congress. The intrigue: Under her leadership, the Library of Congress promoted works and collections from people of color. The library announced it had acquired the photographs and manuscripts of pioneering Chicano journalist Raúl Ruiz. Yes, but: Conservative MAGA influencers and groups have repeatedly attacked Hayden for the Library of Congress's posts and collections. Context: The Library of Congress makes available historical documents, such as the papers of presidents and Supreme Court justices.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Percival Everett, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Susie Ibarra take home 2025 Pulitzer Prizes in arts
In a year that saw reinterpretations of American narratives and explorations of identity and history, the 2025 Pulitzer Prizes in books, drama, and music honoured a diverse slate of voices. Percival Everett won the fiction prize for James, a reframing of Huckleberry Finn through the eyes of Jim. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins captured the drama award with Purpose, an intergenerational reckoning within a Civil Rights-era family, while composer Susie Ibarra was recognised for Sky Islands, a vibrant ecological soundscape. Fiction 📌 Winner: James, by Percival Everett (Doubleday) Percival Everett earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with James, a riveting reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huck on his journey. Everett's novel restores agency to Jim, r📌eframing the narrative to confront the absurdities of racial supremacy and deepen the themes of freedom and family. Finalists: 📌Mice 1961, by Stacey Levine 📌The Unicorn Woman, by Gayl Jones Drama 📌 Winner: Purpose, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins This deeply layered play delves into the complex legacy of a Black upper-middle-class family whose patriarch played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Through a mix of drama and humor, Jacobs-Jenkins explores generational conflict and the evolving meaning of heritage. Finalists: 📌Oh, Mary!, by Cole Escola 📌 The Ally, by Itamar Moses History 📌Winner: Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War, by Edda L. Fields-Black (Oxford University Press) Fields-Black provides a gripping and detailed account of a transformative raid led by Harriet Tubman that freed 756 enslaved people. The book interweaves military strategy with personal and cultural history, reshaping narratives around Tubman's heroism. Finalists: Native Nations, by Kathleen DuVal Plantation Goods, by Seth Rockman Biography 📌Winner: Every Living Thing, by Jason Roberts (Random House) Roberts crafts a compelling dual biography of Carl Linnaeus and Georges-Louis de Buffon, two pioneering 18th-century naturalists. The book explores their scientific contributions and rivalries that shaped modern understanding of biology. Finalists: 📌John Lewis: A Life, by David Greenberg 📌The World She Edited, by Amy Reading Memoir or Autobiography Winner: Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir, by Tessa Hulls (MCD) This visually striking and emotionally rich graphic memoir traces three generations of Chinese women, examining the legacy of trauma and resilience across decades. Hulls merges visual art with powerful storytelling to explore family, identity, and survival. Finalists: Fi: A Memoir of My Son, by Alexandra Fuller I Heard Her Call My Name, by Lucy Sante Poetry Winner: New and Selected Poems, by Marie Howe (W. W. Norton & Company) Howe's collection, spanning her career, reflects on mortality, holiness, and the quiet profundities of everyday life. Her lyrical voice has long been celebrated for its emotional clarity and spiritual depth. Finalists: An Authentic Life, by Jennifer Chang Bluff: Poems, by Danez Smith General Nonfiction 📌 Winner: To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause, by Benjamin Nathans (Princeton University Press) This comprehensive and moving account of Soviet dissidents reveals the endurance of human rights activism under authoritarianism. Nathans brings to life a cast of brave individuals fighting for freedom against overwhelming odds. Finalists: 📌 I Am on the Hit List, by Rollo Romig 📌 Until I Find You, by Rachel Nolan Music 📌Winner: Sky Islands, by Susie Ibarra Premiered at the Asia Society in New York, Sky Islands is a celebration of biodiversity and sonic innovation. Ibarra's work challenges traditional compositional boundaries, using improvisation and environmental themes to craft a vibrant, immersive musical experience. Finalists: 📌 Jim is Still Crowing, by Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson 📌 The Comet, by George Lewis Special Citation Chuck Stone (Posthumous) Stone was honored for his groundbreaking work in journalism, notably as the first Black columnist at the Philadelphia Daily News, his fearless coverage of the Civil Rights Movement, and his role as co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Axios
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
DOJ drops decades-old desegregation school case in Louisiana
The Trump administration has dismissed a half-century-old school desegregation case in Louisiana in a sign that it may aggressively end other school racial desegregation cases long targeted by white conservatives. Why it matters: The move by the U.S. Justice Department this week follows the Trump administration's reinterpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism," rather than discrimination against people of color. The big picture: It comes weeks after the Trump administration said the federal government will no longer unequivocally prohibit contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms and drinking fountains. It also follows President Trump's revocation of President Lyndon Johnson's decades-old order on diversity and affirmative action practices in the federal government. Driving the news: The DOJ said this week that Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon had "righted a historical wrong" by "freeing" the Plaquemines Parish School Board of federal oversight. "No longer will the Plaquemines Parish School Board have to devote precious local resources over an integration issue that ended two generations ago," Dhillon said in a statement. "This is a prime example of neglect by past administrations, and we're now getting America refocused on our bright future." Zoom in: The mostly-white parish is just south of New Orleans in the southeastern-most edge of the state. The DOJ did not respond to Axios on what other desegregation cases it's looking to dismiss. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a press release that she intends to pursue closures for additional remaining desegregation cases in the state, but a spokesperson was not immediately able to share a list of what school districts they would affect. Context: The Johnson administration sued the Plaquemines Parish School Board in 1966, seeking to desegregate its schools, as it did other school districts in the South. Those school districts, then led by white segregationists, refused to abide by the 1954 Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision that outlawed racial segregation in schools. For decades, many of the same school districts remained under federal consent decrees for failing to abide by desegregation orders even as areas and school boards grew more racially diverse. White conservatives for decades have complained about the orders and claimed they were federal overreach. What they're saying: "Louisiana got its act together decades ago, and it is past time to acknowledge how far we have come," said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Civil Rights Division. "America is back, and this Department of Justice is making sure the Civil Rights Division is correcting wrongs from the past and working for all Americans." Yes, but: Racial segregation in schools across the country has increased dramatically over the last three decades, according to reports and an Axios review of federal data. Federal data examined by the UCLA Civil Rights Project and the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University tool reviewed by Axios found that in the years after Gen X left public schools, the districts began to resegregate and today have returned to 1960s segregation levels. The resegregation of America's public schools coincides with the rise of charter schools and school choice options, and as civil rights groups have turned away from desegregation battles for Black and Latino students. Intensely segregated schools, defined as schools with a student population that is more than 90% nonwhite, have fewer resources, more teacher shortages, higher student-to-school counselor ratios and fewer AP class options. Tim DeRoche, president of the nonpartisan education advocacy group Available to All, said the desegregation orders did little to stop districts from creating boundaries to keep poor children out of high-performing schools. "Desegregation cases have not been effective at opening up access to these elite, coveted schools, because the Supreme Court and the rest of the courts have said that it's perfectly legal to keep kids out of schools." Between the lines: More than 130 school systems are under DOJ desegregation orders, according to records in a court filing this year, per the AP.
Axios
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Legal Defense Fund sues Department of Ed over DEI defunding move
A storied civil rights legal group that helped desegregate U.S. public schools seven decades ago is suing the U.S. Department of Education over its efforts to stop diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 public schools. Why it matters: The federal lawsuit by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) on behalf of the NAACP is the latest challenge to the Trump administration's attempts to end DEI programs and limit discussions of racism in schools. The big picture: The lawsuit comes at the Trump administration is using a broad reinterpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on " anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color. It also follows some recent embarrassing missteps by agencies erasing — then restoring — websites dedicated to Black historic figures like Jackie Robinson and Harriet Tubman amid a massive DEI purge. President Trump's executive order ending federal DEI initiatives has caused confusion and several legal challenges across multiple agencies. Catch up quick: Earlier this month, the Department of Education sent letters to state K-12 agencies requiring them to comply with the Trump administration's anti-diversity policies to maintain their federal funding. State officials were given a certification form, due within 10 days, to vouch that their policies aligned with federal directives against DEI practices. In February, the Department of Education warned academic institutions in a " Dear Colleague" letter that it may cut federal funding for those with policies related to race or diversity. Zoom in: The LDF said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. that the moves will "chill lawful activities known to benefit Black students" and eliminate obstacles that unfairly hurt Black students. The lawsuit said the Department of Education's demands contained factual inaccuracies and misinterpretations of civil rights laws and threatened to terminate critical public education. The lawsuit also alleged that the department was intentionally discriminating against Black students through its efforts to defund federal grantees based on erroneous facts and interpretations of law. It names the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and acting assistant secretary for civil rights Craig Trainor. The lawsuit seeks to stop the department from enforcing its threats to pull federal funding from schools that maintain their DEI programs and keep books on Black history. A Department of Education spokesperson did not immediately respond to Axios about the lawsuit. What they're saying: "These threats seek to undo decades of progress towards equality for all in public education," Katrina Feldkamp, assistant counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, said in a statement. "The current administration's attacks are a threat to longstanding efforts to ensure truthful, inclusive curricula and instruction." Context: U.S. public schools are growing more separate and unequal even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever. Federal data examined by the UCLA Civil Rights Project and the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University tool reviewed by Axios found that in the years after Gen X left public schools, the districts began to resegregate and today have returned to 1960s segregation levels. The typical Black student in 1990 attended a school with a student population that was 34.7% white. By 2021, the average Black student went to a school that was only 24.5% white. In 1988, only around 7.4% of schools were intensely segregated, which means students of color represented more than 90% of their student bodies. By 2021, the percentage of intensely segregated schools skyrocketed to nearly 20%.
