Latest news with #CivilRightsActof1964
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
How L.A.'s queen of Black queer disco used her powers for good
When Rep. Maxine Waters learned Jewel Thais-Williams had died at 86 on Monday, the politician — who typically has something to say — fell silent for a moment or two. Thais-Williams is widely known in the Black and LGBTQ+ communities as the founder of the iconic nightclub Jewel's Catch One. It opened in 1973, and at its peak, celebrities from Grace Jones and the Pointer Sisters to Sharon Stone and Madonna walked through its doors. However, it wasn't flashbacks of the nightlife scene at the corner of Pico and Norton that caused Waters to pause. The congresswoman was reflecting on the impact Thais-Williams had on the country. 'Jewel was a warrior, a true warrior,' Waters told me. 'A lot of people talk about helping people. She just did it — over and over again — no matter the circumstances. She didn't wait for someone else to step up. She didn't ask for permission. She just went out and helped people … so many people. She was a wonder woman.' To truly understand Thais-Williams' legacy, you must first remember the time in which she began building it. In 1961, a Supreme Court ruling restricted women from tending bar unless they were the wife or a daughter of the owner. And while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 created a legal pathway to help dismantle sex discrimination, when Thais-Williams opened her bar less than a decade later, the residue from that Supreme Court ruling — and Jim Crow laws — was still quite palpable. On top of all of that, she was a lesbian. In 1973 California, employment law did not protect the queer community, Penal Code 647 was used to justify entrapment stings in public spaces, and the white gays of West Hollywood would often ask Black and brown patrons for three pieces of ID just to keep them out of clubs. Establishing Jewel's Catch One, becoming the first Black lesbian to own a bar in this country, was no crystal stair for Thais-Williams. 'When I first met Jewel, it was in the backyard of Catch One,' said Waters, who spearheaded the federal Minority AIDS Initiative and convinced the Congressional Black Caucus to host a hearing on the disease, which had been disproportionately killing minorities. 'I was trying to get federal funding to help people living with AIDS and went to see what she was doing. It was incredible. She was absolutely incredible. She was helping all of these men whose families had kicked them out and had nowhere else to go. She was feeding them out of her restaurant and helping them with treatment. And then she went to school to learn medicine and helped even more people. She was truly special.' Keith Boykin, founder of the National Black Justice Coalition and former aide to President Clinton, was a friend of Thais-Williams and told me 'the most important lesson I learned from Jewel is that building community in a time of oppression is an act of resistance.' In 1993, Boykin helped arrange the first sit-down meeting between a president and the LGBTQ+ community, a startling fact when you consider that by then there were nearly 400,000 reported cases of AIDS and nearly a quarter of a million Americans — predominantly gay men — had already died. The federal government's deafening silence through the '80s and early '90s had been met with loud resistance from organizations such as ACT UP, and, as Boykin said, community building. The work Waters and Thais-Williams did together is one of the highlights of the 2016 documentary 'Jewel's Catch One.' Its director, C. Fitz, told me she 'set out to make the film due to the fact I saw a large need to tell her story for our future.' 'I was compelled to make the film to shine a light on an important hidden hero in our community that changed lives and impacted history,' Fitz said. 'I wanted to tell the story certainly about her incredible club she created, but also her life as a whole and all she accomplished including being a healer with her clinic.' In 2001, Thais-Williams opened the Village Health Foundation, which offered traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, counseling and other holistic approaches to treating ailments that were disproportionately impacting the Black community. It took Fitz six years to make the film. As a result, she said, she carries numerous life lessons she learned from Thais-Williams with her each day, like 'the importance of laughter.' 'As hard as a day was, I always saw Jewel laughing,' Fitz said. 'We work so hard to make a difference, but we have to take care of ourselves inside and out too.' This week began with about 100 armed federal agents and members of the state's National Guard conducting a 'show of force' operation in a relatively empty MacArthur Park. Thankfully, there weren't any mass arrests, just mass concern about the president's tendency to use our military for political theater. Last month, when Waters tried to check on David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union California who was being detained at a federal facility, the door was shut in her face. There's an obvious thread between the government cruelty of past decades — toward LBGTQ+ people, women and people of color — and the performative cruelty today against … well, all of those same groups still, and also in recent months especially against Latinos and immigrants. Waters had been in meetings most of the day when news about Thais-Williams reached her ears … and broke her heart. 'She was a fighter; that's what I love most about her,' Waters said. 'I'm a fighter too. That's one of the reasons why we got along so well.' With all due respect, I would argue 'fighting' isn't the reason the two of them got along so well. Everybody is fighting, in one way or another. It's what we fight for that keeps people together. It's what we fight for that ultimately defines the meaning of our lives. Thais-Williams may be known for opening a popular nightclub, but what she fought for — the people most in need of a champion — is what defined her life. YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow
CNBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNBC
Trump administration launches probe of DEI policy at George Mason University
The Department of Education said Thursday that it has opened an investigation into George Mason University's hiring and promotion practices, the second federal probe of the Fairfax, Virginia, school launched in the past month. The department's Office for Civil Rights is investigating a complaint filed by GMU professors who alleged that the university's personnel decisions are skewed to favor some racial groups over others. The department said in a statement that the alleged behavior "creates a racially hostile environment" and could violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If the investigation concludes that the university did, in fact, violate faculty members' civil rights, GMU could be at risk of losing its federal funding. George Mason is the second major Virginia public institution to be targeted by the Trump administration in recent weeks. Jim Ryan, the longtime president of the University of Virginia, stepped down in June after UVA was the target of a federal investigation into its DEI policies, and the Justice Department called for Ryan's resignation. According to the George Mason complaint, several professors alleged that the university has given "preferential treatment" to people from "underrepresented groups" starting in 2020. This was the same year that university president Gregory Washington began his tenure as GMU's first Black president. "The Trump-McMahon Education Department's Office for Civil Rights will investigate this matter fully to ensure that individuals are judged based on their merit and accomplishment, not the color of their skin," said Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the department, in a statement. The Department of Education highlighted five central allegations outlined in the complaint. They include a claim that the school has "Equity Advisors" focused on equity in recruitment, and that GMU has a Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence. The complaint also alleges that Washington provided guidance to faculty that a prospective candidate who surpassed certain requirements for a position would be hired based on his or her "diversity... even if that candidate may not have better credentials than the other candidate," according to the education department. George Mason says it only received notice of the investigation Thursday, at the same time that news organizations did. "George Mason University again affirms its commitment to comply with all federal and state mandates," the school said in a statement. "The university consistently reviews its policies and practices to ensure compliance with federal laws, updated executive orders, and on-going agency directives." In March, following a directive from President Donald Trump to comply with federal DEI policies, Washington announced the university was renaming its DEI office the "Office of Access, Compliance, and Community." "I am pleased to confirm that, after an initial review of our policies and practices, George Mason meets all of these federal mandates," Washington wrote at the time, adding that the review found "no evidence" of any discriminatory practices. Thursday's probe marks the second this month for GMU, which was notified last week by the OCR that it was being investigated for allegedly failing to "respond effectively to a pervasively hostile environment" for Jewish community members. That investigation mirrors similar ones launched into Harvard University and Columbia University, amid an intensifying Trump attack on higher education. Some of the schools that have been targeted by the Trump administration, such as the University of California, Berkeley, have long traditions of nurturing progressive ideas and fostering a diverse, inclusive George Mason is not one of these schools. In 2016, its law school was named after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after politically conservative donors gave tens of millions of dollars for the naming rights. It has also received millions of dollars in donations from foundations affiliated with, and funded by, Charles H. Koch, the reclusive billionaire known for bankrolling conservative think tanks and libertarian causes.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Education Department announces investigation against George Mason over DEI
The Education Department announced on Thursday a civil rights investigation against George Mason University over allegations of discrimination regarding its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. The federal agency said multiple professors at the university alleged leadership is giving preferential treatment to underrepresented minority groups for hiring and promotion considerations among faculty. 'Despite the leadership of George Mason University claiming that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, it appears that its hiring and promotion policies and practices from 2020 to the present, implemented under the guise of so-called 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,' not only allow but champion illegal racial preferencing in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This kind of pernicious and wide-spread discrimination—packaged as 'anti-racism'—was allowed to flourish under the Biden Administration, but it will not be tolerated by this one,' said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. 'The Trump-McMahon Education Department's Office for Civil Rights will investigate this matter fully to ensure that individuals are judged based on their merit and accomplishment, not the color of their skin. That the leadership of a university named in honor of the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights—which informed the Constitution's Bill of Rights—needs a refresher on the primacy of treating individuals equally under law is deeply disheartening,' Trainor added. The Hill has reached out to the university for comment. Other practices by George Mason that were reported to the Education Department include equity advisers in academic departments and the creation of a Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence. It is the second Title VI investigation opened against George Mason, with the first announced last week that will look into allegations the university failed to protect Jewish students from a hostile environment. George Mason has joined the dozens of other universities that are under the Trump administration's radar for alleged DEI practices and antisemitism on campus.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
With accreditation threat, student visa subpoenas, Trump administration elevates fight against Harvard
The moves Wednesday are just the latest Harvard, meanwhile, has said that the Trump administration's actions are blatantly unlawful, and that it's Advertisement 'What we're seeing is the administration is persistent, and it's not backing down,' said Brendan Cantwell, a professor of education at Michigan State University. 'Harvard initially put up some resistance, sued the administration, and the administration is simply doubling down on its accusations and its insistence that it has the right to reach into the university and control the way the university does things in exchange for access to federal resources.' Advertisement Last week, the White House asserted Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin — by arguing the university 'has been in some cases deliberately indifferent, and in others has been a willful participant in anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff.' Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post The government gave Harvard 10 days to follow the law, though did not specify how the university could come into compliance, and threatened to cancel all of its federal funding. The notice detailing its findings relied heavily on Harvard's own report on antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias, which the university released in April. The Trump administration is now also using those findings to suggest Harvard is not complying with accreditation standards set by the New England Commission of Higher Education. If those standards were to be revoked, Harvard students could lose access to federal financial aid. 'The Department of Education expects the New England Commission of Higher Education to enforce its policies and practices, and to keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards,' US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. In a statement, a Harvard spokesperson said the university 'has taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism in its community,' and that as part of the government's investigation, it shared its antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias report as well as recent reforms it has made on campus. Advertisement 'Harvard is far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government's findings,' the statement read. 'Harvard continues to comply with the New England Commission of Higher Education's Standards for Accreditation, maintaining its accreditation uninterrupted since its initial review in 1929.' Accreditors such as the New England Commission of Higher Education are independent nonprofits that are not directly run by the federal government, but do have to be recognized by the US Secretary of Education. The threat to Harvard's accreditation is one of the most damaging tactics Trump has used so far to punish the university by threatening the institution's very ability to function, said Cantwell, the Michigan State professor. Harvard University's Commencement Ceremony in May. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'Without seizing Harvard's wealth directly, it's hard to really challenge it in some ways because its cultural and political power is deep and embedded in American society, and people ... still look at Harvard as a prestigious place even if Trump pulls back federal funding for research grants,' Cantwell said. 'This is one of the very few levers that actually gets at the institution's legitimacy.' The move also sent a message to accrediting agencies themselves that 'if they want to remain capable of granting and having the authority to make accreditation determinations, they've got to get on board with Trump's program,' Cantwell said. On its website, the New England Commission of Higher Education wrote it is aware of the Trump administration's assertion that Harvard violated civil rights law. It said the government cannot direct the commission to revoke accreditation and has a process to consider and review 'significant accreditation-related information.' Advertisement Because accreditors have their own lengthy processes to determine whether an institution has broken its rules, it's unlikely Harvard will face consequences in the near-term, said Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, who analyzes higher education policy for New America, a D.C. think tank. 'Harvard is not doing well overall, in terms of the policy-battering that the administration is delivering right now. But in terms of their actual accreditation being at risk, it's very minimal,' Bauer-Wolf said. 'This is a process that would take years for to figure out, not weeks or a matter of months, as the Trump administration seems to be pushing for here.' Trump during the 2024 campaign repeatedly called the accreditation process his and he has already deployed it once, the government asserted that the university violated civil rights law, and later notified its accreditor, the Middle States Commission, that it may no longer comply with its accreditation standards. That prompted the commission to notify Columbia's president its accreditation status 'may be in jeopardy.' Protesters in April encouraged Harvard to fight back against White House demands to overhaul admissions, hiring and student discipline procedures. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Lawyers who spoke to the Globe suggested last week said that the Trump administration has taken a freewheeling approach to slashing federal funding at universities, and that the Title VI investigation findings could be used to bolster the administration's position in negotiations or court fights. Hours after the administration released its findings last week, lawyers for Harvard said in court filings that the government was using the investigation to justify cuts it had already made. They argued that the government 'deliberately chose to ignore' the process under Title VI to cancel federal funding 'in its rush to inflict pain and punishment upon Harvard,' and that a judge should grant summary judgement to Harvard. Lawyers will return for a court hearing on July 21. Advertisement In Harvard's other case challenging the Trump administration's efforts to ban the university from hosting international students, a federal judge last month granted preliminary injunctions blocking the government's efforts. But the Trump administration's decision to subpoena Harvard for information related to student visas shows that it continues to focus on its enrollment of international students. 'We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,' assistant DHS secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. ' Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus.' A Harvard spokesperson said Wednesday that 'Harvard is committed to following the law, and while the government's subpoenas are unwarranted, the university will continue to cooperate with lawful requests and obligations.' Aidan Ryan can be reached at
Axios
7 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Trump administration renews pressure on Harvard over foreign students, accreditation
The Department of Education threatened Harvard's accreditation on Wednesday, while the Department of Homeland Security sent the school a subpoena for information on its international students. Why it matters: The Trump administration is continuing its multi-pronged squeeze on the Ivy League university, which it has singled out in a tirade against higher education institutions. State of play: The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services (HHS) notified Harvard's accreditor that they found the university in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws. On June 30, HHS announced that Harvard violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by "acting with deliberate indifference towards harassment of Jewish and Israeli students" after the Oct. 7 attack. The Trump administration said Harvard "may no longer meet" the New England Commission of Higher Education's "non-discriminatory policies" in recruitment, admissions, employment and disciplinary action. What's next: The commission and university should work together "to establish a plan to return the institution to compliance," the administration said. If Harvard doesn't comply within a specified period, then the accreditor must take further action against it. Zoom out: Also on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security subpoenaed Harvard for information regarding the enforcement of immigration laws since 2020 concerning foreign students. The administration previously requested this information via non-coercive methods. "If Harvard won't defend the interests of its students, then we will," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "While the government's subpoenas are unwarranted, the university will continue to cooperate with lawful requests and obligations," a Harvard spokesperson said in a statement. Behind the scenes: The university's international students en masse have asked about transferring out of Harvard after the Trump administration targeted its ability to host students on visas. "The administration's ongoing retaliatory actions come as Harvard continues to defend itself and its students, faculty, and staff against harmful government overreach aimed at dictating whom private universities can admit and hire, and what they can teach," Harvard said on Wednesday.
