The week’s most impactful stories aren’t always the ones with the most clicks. Stay informed about the trial of Tyre Nichols’ killers, Black business owners in cannabis, potential milk safety issues you might have missed and more.
- Three Memphis officers on trial in the death of Tyre Nichols. Capital B reports that three former Memphis police officers are on trial for second-degree murder in Tyre Nichols’ death, following their federal convictions last year. Nichols died after a brutal beating during a traffic stop in January 2023. His mother was the first to testify at the trial. Two other officers involved are expected to change their pleas and testify against their former colleagues in exchange for reduced sentences. Read more at Capital B.
- What the Reagan era teaches us about how to win in the age of Trump: Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, draws striking parallels between the Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump presidential administrations, noting how both deepened racial inequality while pushing “colorblind” or “reverse racism” narratives. He highlights four key lessons: backlash is inevitable but progress continues, countering lies with data is essential, coalition building across differences is necessary, and intentional leadership transforms power into policy. Despite challenges like dismantled diversity programs and targeted civil rights protections, Asante-Muhammad remains hopeful, pointing to unprecedented Black political representation today and reminding us that “We’ve been here before. And we know how to win.” Read more.
- How much do you know about the challenges Black entrepreneurs face in the legal cannabis industry?: Outlier Media explores how Detroit’s cannabis industry isn’t delivering on promises to help Black entrepreneurs affected by the war on drugs. One dispensary owner initially opposed marijuana after seeing his brother jailed for possession in the 90s—a common experience that destroyed countless Black lives. While Detroit created programs to prioritize longtime residents and those with marijuana convictions, the reality falls short. A cannabis researcher who helped draft the ordinance admits that despite “great intention,” true ownership remains elusive. The biggest hurdles? Limited access to capital, restrictive “green zone” real estate requirements, and competition from large companies with “vertical integration.” Some Black-owned shops persist, offering various cannabis products and focusing on medicinal benefits while building generational wealth. Consumers are encouraged to support these small, local businesses despite potentially higher prices than corporate competitors. Read more at Outlier Media.
- How safe are your dairy products?: The FDA is pausing a milk testing program due to “laboratory support” issues, amid major cuts at Health and Human Services under Trump’s administration. While officials deny staffing shortages caused the suspension, it follows a 20,000-employee reduction and comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also halted bird flu testing in dairy products. This isn’t Kennedy’s only controversy. He’s faced backlash for claiming autistic people “will never pay taxes, hold a job, play baseball” or “date,” prompting “Love on the Spectrum” star Dani Bowman to respond: “We don’t need to be fixed. We need to be supported.” Read more.
- Trump says he wants to deport American prisoners. That’s a threat to Black people and other nonwhites: Trump’s newest threat to deport “homegrown criminals” to foreign prisons sounds like a dangerous dog whistle that should terrify everyone. While people protest and courts order wrongfully deported people returned, Trump barrels ahead, having likely already deported American citizens and even children without due process. As S.E. Williams writes for Black Voice News, “This bombastic declaration felt unsettling, like a precursor to something more sinister.” With ICE deportations increasing and stereotypes of “dangerous gang members” often aimed at Black and brown men, this policy creates a slippery slope that threatens constitutional rights while Democrats ineffectively play by rules Trump has already burned. Read more at Black Voice News.
This content may have been created with AI collection or assistance.
