Yes, the President picked a fight with the nation’s preeminent university and his government continued to deport international students from universities at a speedy clip. Even if you’re up-to-date on those things, here’s more news you should know.
- Highway robbery in the Mississippi capital: The crumbling streets in Jackson, Miss., aren’t falling apart by accident. Their state reflects a deeper inequity that can best be described as the city’s transportation funds being hijacked by its own planning organization. While Jackson houses 140,000 mostly Black residents, the Metropolitan Planning Organization funnels millions to wealthy, more sparsely populated, predominantly white suburbs. The math is brutal. Read more at Black Girl Times.
- A guide for people who may face detention amid Trump’s immigration crackdown: Columbia grad student Mohsen Mahdawi joins over 1,200 students with revoked visas – many reportedly Palestine supporters flagged by pro-Israel groups. The Trump administration is weaponizing obscure policies like the Alien Enemies Act while using minor offenses such as years-old traffic violations as pretexts for detention. But resistance and information are helping. Immigration officials admit informed immigrants are making mass deportations harder. A survival guide: carry status documentation (never foreign IDs), memorize emergency contacts, find a lawyer ASAP, and remember your rights – including staying silent and refusing to sign anything. Knowledge is your best defense. Read more.
- Is Keisha Lance Bottoms aiming for Georgia’s biggest glass ceiling?: Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is poised to announce her 2026 Georgia gubernatorial bid, in what will be the third straight effort from a Black woman to challenge the state’s 290-year streak of white male governors. Following Stacey Abrams’ trailblazing attempts, Lance Bottoms enters a race where Republicans like AG Chris Carr lead while Democrats like pastor Olu Brown join the fray. With Republicans failing to connect with Black voters (remember the Herschel Walker experiment?) and Georgia’s evolving political landscape, Lance Bottoms might just shatter that persistent glass ceiling, something no Black woman has accomplished in any U.S. state. Read more.
- Widening America’s racial wealth divide one tax cut at a time: Just after Tax Day, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies warns that extending Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could further separate Black and white Americans financially. While white households boast median wealth of $250,400, Black households trail at just $24,520. The original tax cuts gave white families $2,020 in relief versus $840 for Black families, with 40% of benefits flowing to the wealthiest 5%. Instead of perpetuating this inequality, economists have some other suggestions. Read more.
- “Sinners” launches Black horror to new heights this weekend: Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s “Sinners” hits theaters this weekend, continuing the Black horror movie renaissance sparked by Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” Set in early 20th-century Mississippi, this vampire tale blends supernatural terror with real horrors while exploring blues music’s history. The remarkable Coogler-Jordan partnership is still doing what they’ve done since their ”Fruitvale Station” days: Inviting viewers to confront monsters, literal and figurative, onscreen while reflecting on the shadows haunting America today. Read more.
This content may have been created with AI assistance or collection.
