The BlackOut Friday Brief is my weekly sweep of the stories that slipped past the front page but land hardest on Black folks, Black LGBTQ folks, and the wider diaspora. It’s long on purpose and built for skimming, not suffering. Even if you’re not Black, this Brief is for you too, because the same systems that quietly fail or target Black communities are the ones that eventually come for everyone else.
I’ve grouped and written these so you can jump around: headlines and timestamps first, “Why It Matters” in bold if you just want the hit of meaning without every detail. Think of it like a buffet, not a test; you can nibble one or two items now, come back for the rest when your brain has room. As you move through the first three items, just notice what happens in your body when you realize how much you weren’t supposed to see this week.
Section B – Black Friday Briefing (Dec. 1–5, 2025)
1. Colorado Dean Sues Over Book Ban Retaliation – 6:59 PM ET, Dec. 1, 2025, Colorado: A former middle school dean in rural Elizabeth, CO, LeEllen Condry, filed a federal lawsuit against her school district, claiming she was fired for condemning a 2024 school library book ban . The suit argues the district violated her First Amendment rights and discriminated against her as a Black woman after she objected to the removal of 19 titles – mostly books by Black or LGBTQ authors dealing with racism or queer themes.
Why It Matters: The case spotlights how educators face professional risks for challenging content bans that disproportionately target Black experiences and LGBTQ stories . It underscores growing tensions in conservative communities where attempts to censor “sensitive” material often silence minority voices. (Local-only)
2. Black LGBTQ Coalition Fights Online Censorship Bill – 9:00 AM ET, Dec. 2, 2025, Washington, D.C.: The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and dozens of civil rights and tech groups sent Congress an open letter urging rejection of the Senate’s Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) . They warn that in today’s climate of book bans and anti-LGBTQ laws, KOSA’s broad “duty of care” would pressure platforms to over-censor content and empower officials hostile to Black and queer communities to police what young people see online . The letter argues KOSA would grant “sweeping censorship powers” to governments and cut off vulnerable Black LGBTQ youth from life-saving support forums and information, worsening mental health disparities .
Why It Matters:Black LGBTQ advocates fear that under a pretext of “online safety,” conservative authorities could suppress content on race, gender, and sexuality. This coordinated pushback highlights the high stakes for marginalized youth who rely on uncensored internet access for community and health resources . (Ignored)
3. “Mass Blackout” Economic Protest Ends With Mixed Results – 11:59 PM ET, Dec. 2, 2025, National: A week-long economic boycott dubbed the “Mass Blackout” concluded after organizers – a coalition of grassroots groups led by Black activists – urged Americans to halt all non-essential shopping and work from Black Friday through Dec. 2 in protest of corporate greed and the Trump administration . The targeted week encompassed the year’s busiest retail days to maximize pressure. While organizers hailed the unity and “people power” on display (“This isn’t symbolic…we’re showing them where the power truly lies,” said Isaiah Rucker Jr. of Blackout the System ), early data suggested little economic impact – a similar one-day strike earlier saw Amazon sales actually increase .
Why It Matters: This unprecedented Black Friday boycott highlights deep frustrations among Black-led and allied groups over economic inequity and political disenfranchisement. Even if it didn’t dent profits, the campaign’s breadth signals a growing willingness to use collective economic action to demand change, echoing past civil rights-era boycotts in a modern context . (Downplayed)
If you’ve read this far, you already know how much noise you had to wade through this week just to get to these three stories. If you want someone whose “mass blackout” is turning off everything else and sitting in this stuff so you don’t have to, that’s what a paid subscription does: it literally buys me more hours to do this work until it becomes my full-time job. If that sounds worth a few dollars a month, become a paid subscriber so the next Brief goes even deeper.
4. CBS to Air Town Hall with Charlie Kirk’s Widow – 12:00 PM ET, Dec. 4, 2025, New York: CBS News announced a prime-time town hall event for Dec. 13 featuring Erika Kirk – widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk – to discuss the aftermath of her husband’s assassination . The forum will be moderated by Bari Weiss, a journalist recruited by CBS’s new ownership to bring more ideological balance to its coverage . Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead on a Utah campus in September during a student protest. Erika Kirk’s appearance – she famously forgave her husband’s killer – aims to address political violence and healing in front of an audience of faith and community leaders .
Why It Matters: This marks a rare network spotlight on a conservative figure’s tragedy at a time of intense polarization. CBS’s decision to elevate Erika Kirk’s voice signals mainstream media’s acknowledgment of right-wing audiences’ concerns about campus violence, and an attempt to bridge divides after criticism that major networks downplayed the Kirk shooting . (Downplayed)
5. Black Diaspora Music Energizes Miami Art Week – 7:00 AM ET, Dec. 5, 2025, Miami: A cultural collective called Everyday People brought a vibrant Black diaspora music experience to Miami Art Week, infusing the art festival with hip-hop, R&B, and Afro-Caribbean beats . Launched over a decade ago in New York City as a daytime party, Everyday People has grown into an international community touring 23 cities from Brazil to South Africa . Co-founder DJ mOma – a Sudanese-American – said their events adjust to each locale while staying rooted in the Black American club experience . At Wynwood Marketplace, attendees danced to genres spanning Jamaican dancehall, Trinidadian soca, South African amapiano, and Haitian konpa, reflecting Miami’s rich African and Caribbean diasporas .
Why It Matters: In an era when hip-hop’s U.S. chart dominance is waning, Everyday People’s success underscores the rising global influence of African and Caribbean music in Black culture. The celebration of diaspora sounds on a prestigious art world stage highlights the power of Black communities reclaiming space, joy, and cultural connection through music – “it bodes really well…for the state of Black music globally,” noted DJ mOma . (Local-only)
6. Florida District Speeds Up Book Bans With 5-Day Removal Rule – (Tue, Dec. 2, 2025, 5:35 am ET — Jacksonville, FL) The Duval County School Board quietly approved a new policy that lets officials pull any book with “sexual conduct” allegations from shelves within five school days of a complaint. Under the revised Board Policy 4.30, once a parent or community member files an objection through a new online form, the book must be removed from student access pending review by a Material Review Committee made up mostly of parents. Protesters rallied outside district offices Dec. 1 warning the change invites politicized complaints and wholesale purges of LGBTQ+ titles and any book that even mentions sex.
Why It Matters: This is “book ban on fast-forward.” A single complaint can disappear a book from kids’ reach for a month or longer, and the policy is tailor-made for groups targeting stories about race and queer identity. In a district with a large Black student population, that means fewer windows and mirrors for those students and more power for the loudest, most reactionary voices. (Local-only — Action News Jax / Jacksonville Today / Hoodline)
7. Barrington Teacher Reinstated After Kirk TikTok Controversy – (Mon, Dec. 1, 2025, 6:36 am ET — Barrington, RI) Barrington High School social studies teacher Benjamin Fillo returned to work after spending about 10 weeks on leave for TikTok posts he made following the September shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Fillo’s short videos, which criticized Kirk and broader right-wing politics, went viral and drew national outrage; the district removed him from the classroom while an outside investigator reviewed whether the posts posed a safety threat or violated policy. With the investigation now complete, officials say he can teach again, though details of the findings have not been fully released.
Why It Matters: Fillo’s case is a rare example of an educator surviving the post-Kirk witch hunt. Dozens of teachers around the country lost jobs over comments about Kirk’s death; this reinstatement suggests some districts are willing to draw a line between unpopular speech and genuine misconduct. For Black and allied educators watching colleagues get purged for political views, the outcome here is a small but important signal that free-speech rights aren’t totally dead in public schools. (Local-only — WJAR NBC10)
8. Black LGBTQ Youth Group Reels After Funding Cut and Burglary – (Thu, Dec. 4, 2025, 6:30 pm MT — Denver, CO) Youth Seen, a Denver nonprofit serving queer and trans youth of color and organizer of Black Pride Colorado, is in crisis after losing around $800,000 in federal funding and suffering a $10,000 burglary at its space this fall. The organization, which runs mental-health programs and a community hub for Black LGBTQ youth (many homeschooled after bullying), fell behind on rent and is now taking a “hard pause” to reassess operations. Staff say Trump-era cuts to behavioral-health grants pushed them to the brink even before the break-in.
Why It Matters: Youth Seen is exactly the kind of group policy makers claim to champion—keeping Black LGBTQ youth housed, supported, and alive. When federal dollars dry up and a single theft pushes them toward closure, it lays bare how fragile these lifelines are. Losing a space like this doesn’t just hurt queer kids of color in Denver; it signals to similar groups around the country that they’re on their own in a political climate openly hostile to both LGBTQ and mental-health care. (Ignored — Denverite)
9. Black Trans Organizers in Atlanta Build Safety Net Amid Attacks – (Thu, Dec. 4, 2025, afternoon ET — Atlanta, GA) A Capital B Atlanta feature spotlights SNAPCo (Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative) and other Black trans leaders in Atlanta who are quietly building a grassroots safety net amid mounting anti-trans legislation and violence. The group provides queer and trans people of color with housing support, mutual aid, legal help, and community defense, while pushing the city to divest from policing and invest in care infrastructure. Organizers say they’re filling gaps left by the state, which continues to pass bills targeting trans youth and restricting gender-affirming care.
Why It Matters: At a time when Black trans women are overrepresented among murder victims and face homelessness and job discrimination at high rates, these on-the-ground networks are a lifeline. The story barely registered beyond local Black media, yet it captures what real safety work looks like: Black trans people protecting each other when laws and institutions won’t. (Ignored — Capital B Atlanta)
10. Minnesota Braces for ICE Operation Targeting Somali Community – (Tue, Dec. 2, 2025, 2:31 pm ET — Minneapolis, MN) Multiple outlets reported that federal authorities are planning a major immigration operation in Minnesota focused on Somali immigrants, just days after President Trump called Somalis “garbage” and said they should “go back”. A leaked AP memo and Minnesota Reformer reporting say around 100 ICE agents may be deployed to the Twin Cities region, home to one of the largest Somali diasporas in the U.S.. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey warned that “mistakes will be made” and that even U.S. citizens could be detained solely because they “look like they are Somali,” urging residents to know their rights.
Why It Matters: This is a direct strike at a Black Muslim diaspora community that has revitalized Minneapolis with businesses, cultural life, and political leadership. The combination of racist presidential rhetoric and targeted enforcement echoes past chapters of American history when Black communities were demonized and over-policed. For Somali Americans—many of whom are citizens—this operation deepens fear that their very presence is now treated as a security threat. (Downplayed — AP / Minnesota Reformer / Al Jazeera)
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Sources:
(Felicia Thomas – Colorado dean/book removals lawsuit)
https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/01/elizabeth-school-district-sued-by-dean-who-objected-to-book-removals/(NBJC + coalition letter on KOSA)
https://nbjc.org/national-black-justice-collective-leads-coalition-urging-congress-to-reject-current-version-of-the-u-s-senates-kids-online-safety-act/(Mass Blackout economic protest)
https://www.newsweek.com/mass-blackout-starts-today-what-to-know-11105984(CBS town hall with Erika Kirk)
https://apnews.com/article/erika-kirk-charlie-cbs-town-hall-cac78923ecee4b3ddd116c13966c173b(Everyday People / Black diaspora music at Miami Art Week)
https://wlrn.org/arts-culture/2025-12-05/everyday-people-black-music-miami-art-week(Duval County 5-day removal / challenged books policy)
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/parents-protest-dcps-changes-how-it-handles-book-complaints-banning/UAIMZ473NRCTNOM3OG2V63RLBQ/
https://jaxtoday.org/2025/12/02/duval-changes-who-reviews-challenged-books/
https://hoodline.com/2025/12/duval-county-school-board-revamps-policy-on-reviewing-challenged-educational-materials/(Barrington teacher back after Charlie Kirk TikToks)
https://turnto10.com/news/local/barrington-teacher-who-made-social-media-posts-on-charlie-kirk-to-return-to-classroom-dec-1-2025
https://turnto10.com/topic/Barrington(Youth Seen – Black LGBTQ youth org funding cut + burglary)
https://denverite.com/2025/12/04/youth-seen-black-lgbtq-break-in/(SNAPCo / Black trans mutual aid in Atlanta)
https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/snapco-black-trans-atlanta/
https://news.yahoo.com/black-trans-leaders-atlanta-cultivating-171500201.html(Planned ICE operation targeting Minnesota Somali community)
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/federal-authorities-plan-operation-in-minnesota-focusing-on-somali-immigrants-ap-source-says
https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/12/02/report-ice-headed-to-twin-cities-targeting-somali-immigrants/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-targets-minnesotas-somali-community-harsh-words-policies-128063110
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/3/trump-plans-crackdown-on-somali-communities-in-minnesota-what-we-know
All times Eastern. Visibility tags (Ignored, Local-only, Downplayed) reflect the degree of national media attention, per NMC guidelines.
Outstanding job of bringing forward the kinds of news we need to see.
I did my spending Blackout from the 25-Dec 2 , X, but it seems like millions of gullible and uninformed Americans didn’t. The Black Friday zealots act like there won’t be another good sale before Xmas! The fact is the closer you get to Xmas the better the sales are…oh boy🙄. Thx for your keeping us informed!