A quick word before we dive in. We’re sitting at 80 paid subscribers right now, up from 60 something a couple of days ago, and that still blows my mind. Thank you to everyone who has already decided this work is worth real money. Most of us, me included, already open our wallets for creators who have made it to the mountaintop. I do it all the time on here. Some of the most established writers on Substack get my little $5 or $8 a month because that work matters.
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1. Quilombo Communities Near COP30 Demand Brazil Respect Land Rights – (Tue, Nov. 18, 2025, 9:00 am ET) — BELEM, Brazil (nationwide): Forty minutes from this year’s U.N. climate talks in Belém, Afro-Brazilian communities descended from enslaved people, known as quilombos, are pressing the Brazilian government to finally grant them legal title to their ancestral lands. In the riverside community of Itacoa Miri, leaders explain how they’ve protected the Amazon for generations by harvesting açaí in ways that keep the forest alive, yet most quilombos still lack official recognition. Of nearly 2,500 quilombos in the Amazon, only 632 have been formally mapped by federal authorities, a gap that leaves them vulnerable to illegal loggers and agribusinesses who forge documents to grab land. Brazil’s president has promised to accelerate titling, but quilombola organizers say progress is too slow and are using COP30 to force the issue onto the global stage.
Why It Matters: These communities are part of the broader Black diaspora whose ancestors built Brazil under slavery and whose descendants now stand between the Amazon and deforestation. Their fight is both a land-rights battle and a climate-justice front line: without secure titles, Black rural communities get pushed off their land while corporations profit from forests they’ve cared for. Giving quilombos ownership is one of the most concrete ways to protect Black lives and the planet at the same time. (Downplayed — AP News)
2. Shutdown’s Aftershock: Black Businesses Warn the Next One Could Be Fatal – (Nov. 17, 11:00 PM ET) WASHINGTON, D.C.: As Washington lurches out of the longest shutdown in U.S. history and stares down the next funding deadline, Black-owned businesses are warning that another lapse could be catastrophic. A survey by the National Minority Supplier Development Council projects $400–450 million in losses per month for minority enterprises during a shutdown, including roughly $150 million in delayed federal contracts and $125 million in reduced demand, with the rest coming from frozen loans and cash-flow crunches.
Why It Matters: Black entrepreneurs are often federal suppliers or rely on SBA loans, so when Washington grinds to a halt these firms struggle to stay afloat. Past standoffs showed nearly one-third of minority businesses needed emergency financing within weeks of a shutdown, underscoring how political crises can disproportionately hurt Black and brown businesses that are “essential to America’s strength and recovery,” one advocacy group warned. (Downplayed | Black Enterprise, POCIT)
3. Judge Allows Tennessee School’s Book Ban to Stand (For Now) – (Nov. 20, 5:21 PM ET) NASHVILLE, Tenn.: A federal judge refused to block a Tennessee school district from removing over 140 books from its libraries pending a trial next year . The banned titles – which include Toni Morrison’s Beloved – contain content related to race, LGBTQ+ identities, or violence. Three students backed by the ACLU had sued Rutherford County Schools in April, arguing the sweeping book bans violate their First Amendment rights . The judge denied their request for a preliminary injunction, writing that the district’s choice to pull the books from shelves, while controversial, did not completely bar students from accessing them elsewhere.
Why It Matters: This case highlights the growing wave of school book bans targeting diverse voices. Even as it proceeds to trial, the normalization of such bans often under the guise of “age appropriateness” is raising alarm among free speech advocates who warn of marginalized stories being pushed out of classrooms. (Downplayed | Chalkbeat Tennessee, Bloomberg Law)
4. Caribbean Nations Press UK on Slavery Reparations – (Nov. 18, 5:33 PM ET) LONDON, UK: In a historic visit, a CARICOM reparations commission delegation urged Britain to help “clean up the mess” left by slavery and colonialism . At a press conference Tuesday, chair Sir Hilary Beckles said the UK should partner with Caribbean nations to address enduring legacies like poverty and underdevelopment rather than viewing reparatory justice as aid . The delegation’s Nov. 17–20 trip – the first of its kind – comes as CARICOM nations demand a formal apology, debt cancellation, educational programs, and monetary compensation from former colonial powers . European leaders have largely opposed such discussions, but Caribbean leaders insist the time has come for concrete action.
Why It Matters: This push by the Black diaspora for reparative justice illustrates a global reckoning with the lasting damage of slavery. It has drawn support from the African Union and others, yet faces resistance in Europe, underscoring the ongoing divide over how to address historical crimes whose effects persist today. (Ignored | Reuters)
5. Officer’s Murder Trial Revives Calls for Police Accountability – (Nov. 19, 2:04 PM ET) COLUMBUS, Ohio: Jurors heard closing arguments in the trial of Officer Connor Grubb, who is charged with murder for fatally shooting 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young, a pregnant Black mother, in 2023. Young had been accused of shoplifting and was backing her car away when Grubb fired a single shot through the windshield, killing her and her unborn daughter. Grubb’s defense argued he feared for his life, claiming Young was driving toward him, and urged jurors to find his fear “objectively reasonable”. Prosecutors countered that Young was treated as disposable – shot over a misdemeanor – and stressed that deadly force was not justified as she attempted to flee. Young’s family, who say she was effectively executed for a minor incident, have attended the trial daily in search of justice.
Why It Matters: This high-profile case is being closely watched as a barometer of accountability for police violence. A conviction could signal that courts will hold officers accountable for split-second lethal decisions, while an acquittal may reinforce Black communities’ fears that the justice system excuses killings of Black people, even under questionable circumstances. (Downplayed | AP, WSYX Columbus)
6. Hundreds Punished in Crackdown on Charlie Kirk’s Critics – (Nov. 19, 6:00 AM ET) WASHINGTON, D.C.: A Reuters investigation revealed roughly 600 Americans have faced punishment for social media posts criticizing right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk after his assassination in September. Teachers, professors, and even service members have been fired, suspended, or harassed following online campaigns that weaponize screenshots of their critical remarks. Prominent figures, including Vice President J.D. Vance, openly urged employers to mete out consequences to anyone “celebrating” Kirk’s death. At least two people were so inundated with threats that they plan to sell their homes to escape harassment.
Why It Matters: Civil liberties advocates liken the fervor to a modern-day “Red Scare” . The mass targeting of individuals, many of them Black or progressive voices, for perceived disloyalty is fueling fears of a new era of ideological witch hunts. Despite the First Amendment, critics say a chilling message is being sent: dissent, even in personal online spaces, can cost your job or safety in today’s charged political climate. (Ignored | Reuters)
7. Memphis Man Exonerated After 36 Years Wrongfully Imprisoned – (Nov. 19, 1:29 PM ET) MEMPHIS, Tenn.: A Shelby County judge formally exonerated 57-year-old Eric Wright, who spent 36 years in prison for a 1989 robbery and shooting he did not commit . Wright’s conviction hinged on a single eyewitness ID. Decades later, the Tennessee Innocence Project got crime scene fingerprints run through a modern database – none matched Wright . He was serving a 1,500-year sentence before new evidence proved his innocence, leading to his release last month and this week’s complete exoneration .
Why It Matters: Wright’s case shines a light on deep flaws in the criminal justice system that have disproportionately harmed Black Americans – from unreliable eyewitness testimony to resistance against revisiting old convictions. His lost decades underscore the urgency of innocence work and reforms (like automatic evidence reviews) to prevent future injustices. (Local-only | WMC Action News 5)
8. Black Unemployment Stuck at Nearly Double the National Rate – (Nov. 20, 8:30 AM ET) WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Labor Department’s delayed September jobs report (released after the government reopened) showed Black unemployment at 7.5%, essentially unchanged and about double the white unemployment rate (3.8%) . Overall U.S. joblessness was 4.4%, a four-year high, signaling a cooling labor market. The data also revealed that Black workers, especially Black women, are enduring longer job searches and dropping out of the labor force at higher rates .
Why It Matters: Historically, Black unemployment has been an economic bellwether – rising faster and staying higher in downturns. The persistently high 7.5% rate, even as other groups see lower joblessness, points to structural inequalities and a “weakening labor market” under current policies . Advocates warn that without targeted intervention, Black communities will bear the brunt of any recession, as job losses and benefit gaps hit them hardest. (Downplayed | BLS, Center for American Progress)
9. Black Transgender Influencer Killed; Vigil Honors Lost Lives – (Nov. 20, 2025) LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla.: A 21-year-old Black transgender TikTok star known as “Girlalala” was shot to death by her longtime boyfriend on Nov. 14, authorities confirmed . The popular hair stylist and influencer who had nearly 300,000 followers –was found in the front seat of a car with multiple gunshot wounds after an argument turned physical, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office . Her boyfriend, 24-year-old Shanoyd Whyte Jr., was arrested at the scene and now faces first-degree murder charges .
Why It Matters: Girlalala’s killing highlights the epidemic of violence against Black transgender women, who too often are mourned in obscurity. Advocacy groups marked this week’s Transgender Day of Remembrance with renewed calls to “protect Black trans women,” noting that such women face disproportionate risk of fatal domestic violence and rarely receive national media attention. (Local-only | Them, NBJC)
If you made it all the way to the bottom of this BlackOut Friday Brief, you’re already one of the hundred in spirit. If you’re ready to make it official, become a paid subscriber:
Sources:
1. AP News – Slave descendants in Brazil
2. Black Enterprise – NAACP on midterms
3. Black Enterprise – Minority business shutdown impact
4. Chalkbeat Tennessee – judge won’t block book ban
5. Chalkbeat Tennessee – banned books listed
6. Reuters – Caribbean reparations visit
7. Reuters – CARICOM reparations demands
8. AP News (Spectrum) – Ta’Kiya Young trial closing
9. Reuters – reprisals for Kirk criticism
10. Reuters – “Red Scare” comparison
11. WMC Action News 5 – Eric Wright exoneration
12. BLS – Sept. 2025 unemployment rates
13. Center for American Progress – Black jobseekers struggles
14. Them (Condé Nast) – Girlalala shooting report
15. NBJC – statement on Girlalala’s death
https://apnews.com/article/communities-slave-descendants-brazil-recognition-territories-ff980cc36dcd8f120eb1799c7fbf9aa0
https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-businesses-government-shutdown-2/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2025/11/20/library-book-ban-upheld-in-federal-ruling-rutherford-county/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2024/09/20/library-books-beloved-banned-by-tennessee-rutherford-county-schools/
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/caribbean-nations-tell-uk-help-us-clean-up-mess-you-made-2025-11-18/
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/caribbean-countries-hold-slavery-reparations-talks-uk-visit-2025-11-15/
https://apnews.com/article/police-shooting-pregnant-woman-columbus-ohio-683e1b4e41bfe2fb962873c2c977e3b8
https://www.reuters.com/investigations/charlie-kirk-purge-how-600-americans-were-punished-pro-trump-crackdown-2025-11-19/
https://truthout.org/articles/over-600-were-fired-or-punished-as-white-house-whipped-up-charlie-kirk-crackdown/
https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/11/19/memphis-man-exonerated-after-36-years-prison/
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_11202025.htm
https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/black-women-face-rising-unemployment-crisis-in-2025-517132
https://www.them.us/story/girlalala-killed-boyfriend-arrested-murder-jt-donation
https://nbjc.org/nbjc-mourns-the-stolen-life-of-girlalala/
Thank you for your report on current events and emphesis on issues! I am overwhelmed with reports and news. The opionions of optimism keep me going. Shout out to COP30 in Brazil!
Restacked with a vengence!