Today’s Blackout Monday Briefing surfaces what power hoped you’d miss: ten late-Friday government moves and twenty-five weekend stories each provably under-covered and anchored to real stakes for Black communities on the ground, with dedicated coverage for Black LGBTQ folks and the Black diaspora.
Friday Dump (Oct 31, 3:00–11:59pm ET)
HUD Warns Shutdown Squeezes Housing Safety Net. Washington, D.C. (Oct. 31, 10:00 PM ET) – HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced that public housing authorities (PHAs) will soon exhaust funds, forcing cutbacks in building upkeep and security . A HUD update highlighted 10,000 home lead abatement projects stalled mid-repairs and FHA reverse mortgage payouts frozen, stranding seniors . Mechanism: Shutdown halted HUD grants and FHA processing. Effects: Black families in subsidized housing could face worsening hazards and delayed repairs.
Why It Matters: Black renters are overrepresented in public housing; extended lapses risk unsafe living conditions and potential evictions once PHA reserves dry up. (Downplayed)
Student Loan Forgiveness Rule Now Excludes ‘Illegal’ Work. Washington, D.C. (Oct. 31, 5:30 PM ET) – The Department of Education finalized a Public Service Loan Forgiveness rule narrowing which employers count. Under new criteria, borrowers at organizations engaged in “supporting illegal immigration or gender-transition procedures for minors” no longer qualify . Mechanism: Revises “public service” definition per Trump’s Executive Order 14235. Effects: Staff at certain immigrant-aid nonprofits and LGBTQ+ clinics are shut out of debt relief despite public service roles .
Why It Matters: Black and Brown workers are heavily represented in grassroots social service jobs; this rule could deter them from serving marginalized communities by withholding promised loan forgiveness. (Ignored)
Medicare Fee Rule Axes Equity Incentive. Baltimore, MD (Oct. 31, 4:45 PM ET) – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a 2,375-page physician fee schedule final rule just before close of business . It quietly removed the “health equity” adjustment from Medicare’s value-based payment quality scores , even as it boosted pay rates by ~3.5%. Mechanism: Rulemaking under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Effects: Dialing back equity incentives may reduce providers’ focus on closing care gaps for Black patients. The rule did extend telehealth billing and waivers through 2026 , benefiting underserved urban and rural communities reliant on virtual care.
Why It Matters: Medicare’s rollback of equity measures could slow efforts to improve Black health outcomes, an aspect largely overlooked in press coverage of the rule’s technical tweaks. (Ignored)
DHS Pushes Massive Immigrant Biometric Expansion. Washington, D.C. (Oct. 31, 8:45 AM ET) – In a move overshadowed Friday, the Department of Homeland Security advanced a rule to collect far more biometric data from immigration applicants . USCIS would be authorized to capture DNA, iris scans, voice prints and more from millions of visa, asylum, and green card seekers. Mechanism: Federal Register proposed rule (to publish Nov. 3). Effects: Privacy advocates warn of potential misuse and false matches disproportionately impacting Black immigrants and refugees from African and Caribbean nations.
Why It Matters: Ramping up surveillance of immigrant communities of color raises civil rights concerns, yet this late-week regulatory action saw minimal media scrutiny amid shutdown news. (Ignored)
DOJ Jury Convicts Alabama Sex Traffickers. Montgomery, AL (Oct. 31, 7:30 PM CT) – The Justice Department announced that after a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted two men on multiple counts of sex trafficking seven women and girls , including minors, across Alabama and Georgia. The ringleader, 32-year-old “Statik,” brutally enforced quotas – dragging a teen victim by the throat and beating others so severely he knocked out teeth and broke a jaw . Accomplices helped transport victims across state lines. Mechanism: Prosecution under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Effects: The defendants face up to life in prison at sentencing.
Why It Matters: Black women and girls are disproportionately victims of domestic sex trafficking. This conviction (and the horrific violence detailed) received little national attention late Friday, even as it delivered justice for vulnerable Black victims. (Ignored)
Sources – Section
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19729/william-d-ford-federal-direct-loan-direct-loan-program
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19735/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19727/order-renewing-order-temporarily-denying-export-privileges
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19728/priestia-megaterium-strain-sym36613-exemption-from-the-requirement-of-a-tolerance
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19737/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-for-omb-review-comment-request-ongoing-data
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19741/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-for-omb-review-comment-request-multiple-bureau
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19739/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-for-omb-review-comment-request-multiple-internal
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19731/fee-rate-and-fingerprint-fees
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19730/pipeline-safety-request-for-special-permit-southern-natural-gas-company-llc
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19752/presidential-determination-on-refugee-admissions-for-fiscal-year-2026
Weekend Under-coverage (Nov 1–2, 2025)
SNAP Shutdown Turmoil – Partial Payments, Delays. Nationwide (Sun. Nov 2) – With the government shutdown in its 34th day , 42 million Americans depending on SNAP saw November benefits disrupted. A judge forced the Trump administration to use emergency funds for at least 50% of normal allotments , but states warn deliveries could be weeks late. Black Americans, who are 12.6% of the U.S. population yet over 25% of SNAP recipients , are bearing the brunt.
Why It Matters: A food aid lapse hits Black households hardest and even a partial, delayed payment risks widespread hunger in Black communities already facing food insecurity. (Downplayed)
Elections Eve: NY & VA Votes Poised to Reshape Black Policy. New York, NY & Richmond, VA (Sun. Nov 2) – On the eve of Tuesday’s off-year elections, under-the-radar impacts on Black communities loom large. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 98% chance of defeating Republican Winsome Sears (who would be the first Black female governor) . A Spanberger win with a Democratic legislature is expected to restore voting rights to thousands of Black Virginians and boost state funding for HBCUs and public transit in Black neighborhoods. In New York City, the mayoral race has upended: Mayor Eric Adams exited amid scandal, and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, leads at 46% to ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 33% . Mamdani pledges investments in affordable housing and police reform benefiting communities of color.
Why It Matters: National media frame these races in partisan terms, but overlooked are the specific stakes for Black residents from Richmond’s felony re-enfranchisement to NYC’s potential leftward shift on policing and rents under its first South Asian mayor. (Downplayed)
“Blackout” Report Uncovers 15,723 Attempts to Erase Black Progress. New Orleans, LA (Sat. Nov 1) – A new report by nonprofit Onyx Impact reveals a coordinated nationwide campaign to suppress Black advancement over the past 8 months. Researchers documented 15,723 distinct “impact points” – including 14,072 instances of data distortion (from skewed research to falsified history curricula) and 1,362 acts of erasure like removing Black heroes from public websites and banning nearly 600 Black-authored books . They also flagged 289 suppression efforts to silence Black voices through legal threats and investigations .
Why It Matters: This comprehensive tally which is the largest of its kind shows the breadth of modern anti-Black backlash (from school boards to state laws) largely ignored by mainstream outlets. It quantifies what Black communities feel daily: an organized attempt to turn back the clock on racial progress. (Ignored)
Nationwide Black Economic Boycott Underway. Online & U.S. cities (Sat. Nov 1) – A grassroots movement called Blackout The System launched a week-long economic boycott starting this weekend, urging people “not to work or spend money” from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2 . The so-called “Second Wave Blackout” is timed around Thanksgiving/Black Friday to maximize impact . Organizers – a multiracial coalition led by Black activists – aim to “shut down the U.S. economy… by removing our labor and spending” in protest of a government they call broken . They offer options for those who can’t fully strike (like only working to rule) .
Why It Matters: This bold call for an economic self-purification, inspired by past Black boycotts, has drawn scant media despite tens of thousands of pledges on social media. Coming as the shutdown suspended SNAP and paychecks , it highlights Black Americans’ leveraging of collective economic power to demand systemic change. (Ignored)
Record-Low Refugee Cap Favors White Immigrants. Washington, D.C. (Sat. Nov 1) – The White House’s new refugee admissions ceiling of 7,500 for FY2026 – the lowest since the Refugee Act of 1980 – took effect this weekend . In a controversial twist, President Trump ordered priority be given to white South African applicants, claiming they face “genocide” under land reform . Refugee and African diaspora groups note that virtually all slots could be filled by white Africans, leaving refugees from war-torn Black-majority nations effectively shut out .
Why It Matters: This policy drastically reduces refuge for people fleeing conflicts in Sudan, Cameroon, Haiti and elsewhere – populations largely ignored in U.S. media coverage of the cap. Critics say it cements a racial double standard in U.S. asylum, sparking outrage in Black diaspora communities even as mainstream discussion focuses elsewhere. (Downplayed)
Judge Halts Trump’s Military “Takeover” of Portland Protest. Portland, OR (Sun. Nov 2) – A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s deployment of out-of-state National Guard troops to Portland . The ruling – handed down Sunday as her temporary restraining order was set to expire – found no credible evidence that local racial justice protests were out of control. Trump’s attempt to override the governor and “federalize” hundreds of Guard members to police ICE facility protests likely exceeded his authority, the court indicated .
Why It Matters: This legal victory for Oregon and civil rights groups defending protesters (disproportionately Black and allied youth) drew limited national coverage. It reins in an unprecedented use of military force on a U.S. city’s streets – an abuse of power many Black activists feared could become a blueprint for suppressing demonstrations nationwide. (Downplayed)
New Orleans Poised to End Police Consent Decree. New Orleans, LA (Sun. Nov 2) – After 12 years of federal oversight of the N.O.P.D., a U.S. judge signaled the landmark police consent decree could conclude imminently . The city (now eager to shed court monitoring) and DOJ attorneys argued Friday that sustained compliance has been met. But civil rights advocates like the ACLU strongly oppose ending the decree now, saying “this decision… owes Black people a debt” and warning of backsliding on reforms .
Why It Matters: The NOPD decree was instituted to curb rampant abuses against Black residents after Hurricane Katrina. Sunsetting it with scant media attention raises community concerns that hard-won changes – in use of force, bias training, accountability – may erode. Local Black leaders feel national awareness is low just as this major police reform experiment winds down. (Local-only)
Climate Projects for Black Communities Slashed. Lowndes County, AL & “Cancer Alley,” LA (Sat. Nov 1) – A Washington Post review revealed the Trump administration quietly canceled “nearly two dozen” federal environmental justice projects in Southern Black communities . At least 22 initiatives across EPA, DOJ, Interior and USDA – from fixing raw sewage lagoons in Alabama’s Black Belt to air monitoring in Louisiana’s petrochemical corridor – have been reversed as part of a DEI spending purge. For example, a $14 million grant to upgrade failing sewer systems in Lowndes County, AL (where Black residents have suffered hookworm from sewage exposure) was rescinded, and a $20 million EPA flood control grant for the historic Black Aberdeen Gardens in Hampton, VA was pulled . In Louisiana, funding was pulled from a lawsuit against a chemical plant accused of endangering a Black neighborhood.
Why It Matters: These quiet cuts remove lifelines for predominantly Black communities facing toxic pollution and climate threats. Local activists see it as sacrificing Black health and safety for political ideology – a story largely missing from national headlines. (Downplayed)
Health Equity Grantees Stunned by DEI Cuts. Atlanta, GA (Sun. Nov 2) – Public health experts warn that racial health disparities will widen as hundreds of federal grants targeting minority health have been terminated under Trump’s anti-“woke” agenda . Since early October, the administration shuttered offices and pulled funds aimed at improving Black maternal outcomes, reducing diabetes amputations in Black patients, and boosting clinical trial diversity . States and nonprofits are scrambling to find private dollars to continue life-saving programs. Why It Matters: Black Americans, who suffered disproportionate COVID deaths and already endure higher chronic disease rates, could see reversals of recent progress. This rollback of post-2020 racial health initiatives – happening with minimal press attention – threatens to reverse gains in trust and health access in communities of color. (Ignored)
Ex-LAPD Officer Indicted in 2015 Killing of Black Man. Los Angeles, CA (Sat. Nov 1) – Nearly a decade after the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black homeless man, Brendon Glenn, on Venice Beach, former LAPD officer Clifford Proctor was indicted by a grand jury on a murder charge . Proctor (now 60) quietly pleaded not guilty at a brief arraignment last week. The 2015 incident – captured on video – showed Proctor shooting Glenn in the back during a scuffle. The LAPD chief at the time found it “unjustified,” but the local DA declined to charge; newly revisited by reform D.A. George Gascón, the case finally went to a grand jury.
Why It Matters: This may be the first on-duty LAPD killing of a Black man ever to result in a murder indictment. Yet the development received only modest local coverage. Accountability advocates say reopening such cases is critical to justice for Black victims and restoring community trust, but it’s happening under the radar. (Local-only)
Black Transgender Lives in Peril, Largely Unnoticed. Memphis, TN (Sun. Nov 2) – As the year nears an end, LGBTQ+ advocates sound the alarm that at least 32 transgender and gender-expansive people – most of them Black transgender women – have been killed in the U.S. so far in 2025 . This grim count, reported by HRC, likely understates the true toll due to misidentification. One recent case: Kamora Woods, a 27-year-old Black trans woman, was shot to death in Indianapolis in October. Activists held vigils this weekend in multiple cities to honor the fallen and demand hate-crime protections.
Why It Matters: Black trans Americans face an epidemic of fatal violence with scant national media attention until Transgender Day of Remembrance. The lack of awareness – even as Black trans women remain the primary targets – hampers efforts to get funding for shelter and safety programs that could save lives. (Ignored)
FBI Fires Agents Who Knelt After Floyd’s Murder. Washington, D.C. (Sat. Nov 1) – Newly revealed personnel actions show the FBI quietly dismissed a group of employees who knelt during the 2020 George Floyd protests while in FBI gear . According to an internal memo first reported by Black press, the agents violated Bureau policy by making perceived political gestures. The firing decisions, finalized over the past month, drew no public announcement.
Why It Matters: This purge of law enforcement personnel who expressed solidarity with racial-justice demonstrators sends a chilling message through federal ranks. Black officers and allies say it punishes conscience and will deter agency staff from speaking against racism. The story has flown under the radar, even as it raises questions about federal commitment to diversity and free expression within its workforce. (Local-only)
ICE Jails Beloved School Superintendent. Des Moines, IA (Sat. Nov 1) – Dr. Ian Roberts, the trailblazing Black superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, resigned under pressure this weekend after an immigration debacle that stunned the community . Roberts – a Caribbean-born educator who led one of Iowa’s largest school districts – was detained by ICE agents in late October over an issue with his work visa. Though he was released, the ordeal cast a cloud, and the school board accepted his resignation “with regret.” Parents and students held a rally Saturday praising Roberts’ contributions and decrying the opaque immigration crackdown.
Why It Matters: Roberts is among a handful of Black school chiefs in Iowa. His ouster raises concerns that aggressive immigration enforcement is disrupting even lawful residents serving the public. The lack of national coverage belies a growing fear among Black and Brown professionals that they can be swept up and discredited, even at the expense of students. (Local-only)
Newsroom Diversity Hits New Low. New York, NY (Sun. Nov 2) – A new Pew Research analysis finds that only 6% of U.S. journalists are Black – a striking underrepresentation as trust in media among Black Americans plummets. This comes amid a spate of high-profile firings of Black media figures (e.g. a Washington Post editor and network anchors) in recent months. Black-owned outlets note that mainstream media credibility is cratering overall, but the Black press remains a trusted voice . Advocates at NABJ and NAHJ over the weekend renewed calls for major outlets to hire and retain journalists of color to better cover stories like the above; so far, commitments have been scant.
Why It Matters: Issues affecting Black communities often receive shallow or belated coverage – or none – in part due to the lack of Black journalists in newsrooms. This diversity crisis is quietly fueling the rise of Black-centric media to fill the gap, even as the broader industry sheds jobs. (Ignored)
AI Teacher’s Aide Biased Against Black Students. Princeton, NJ (Sun. Nov 2) – A disturbing new study by Common Sense Media found that popular AI-powered “teacher’s assistant” tools recommend harsher discipline for students with “Black-sounding” names. When feeding identical classroom scenarios to the AI, the system suggested more punitive consequences for Jamal than for Jacob . It also was less likely to flag positive feedback for work by students perceived as Black.
Why It Matters: Dozens of school districts have begun piloting AI to help evaluate student behavior and academics. Bias baked into these algorithms could amplify racial disciplinary gaps (already Black students face suspensions at over 3x the rate of white peers). This weekend’s findings barely registered in general media, but Black education advocates are urging schools to pause use of AI assistants until fairness can be ensured. (Ignored)
Chicago’s Bloody Weekend Largely Ignored Nationally. Chicago, IL (Sun. Nov 2) – 25 people were shot in Chicago this weekend (Friday through Sunday) – including at least 2 teenagers now in critical condition – and 5 victims died . The carnage spanned multiple West and South Side neighborhoods. In one horrific West Side mass shooting early Sunday, six young people were struck by gunfire at a block party . Local activists held a vigil in South Austin, pleading for trauma counseling and conflict mediators.
Why It Matters: Such relentless gun violence in Black communities fails to make national headlines unless the body count is extraordinary. This weekend’s toll in Chicago received perfunctory local coverage but no cable news attention. Community leaders argue that America has normalized the slow mass shooting occurring in Black neighborhoods every week, to society’s shame. (Local-only)
Detroit Resumes Water Shutoffs, Thousands Affected. Detroit, MI (Sat. Nov 1) – After a three-year pandemic-era moratorium, the city of Detroit quietly restarted water shutoffs for delinquent households this fall. By the end of October, nearly 10,000 homes had their water cut off in 2024 – a staggering jump from roughly 1,500 shutoffs in 2023. Most affected are in majority-Black neighborhoods on the East and West Sides. The city says customers owing >$5,000 were targeted, but advocates note many are low-income seniors or families who fell behind during COVID. Michigan’s new affordability plan hasn’t reached them in time.
Why It Matters: Lack of running water poses dire public health and hygiene risks, essentially a humanitarian crisis in these Black communities. Yet this wave of shutoffs, breaking a promise of no return to the pre-2020 status quo, has garnered minimal national press – even as activists liken it to an ongoing violation of residents’ human rights. (Local-only)
“Generational Health” Initiative Launched for Black Families. Virtual (Sat. Nov 1) – Black healthcare platform BlackDoctor.org announced a partnership with pharmaceutical companies to launch a campaign called Generational Health, aimed at improving the longevity of Black Americans . The initiative will share culturally tailored prevention tips – from heart health and diabetes management to mental wellness – via churches, social media, and barbershops. It also plans grants for community health workers. BlackDoctor’s CEO said this effort comes as Black U.S. life expectancy remains about 6 years lower than white counterparts, a gap widened by the pandemic.
Why It Matters: While mainstream media fixated on political drama, Black outlets celebrated this constructive development addressing health inequities. Closing racial health gaps requires both policy and community action; this program illustrates the latter, quietly progressing despite little outside attention. (Ignored)
Black Maternal Health Fears Amid New Abortion Bans. Jackson, MS (Sun. Nov 2) – Advocacy groups marked the midpoint to Black Maternal Health Week 2025 by warning that post-Roe abortion bans in states like Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee are likely to increase Black maternal deaths . Mississippi’s trigger ban took effect one year ago, closing the state’s last clinics. Now OB/GYNs report more pregnant women with high-risk complications unable to get timely care. Planned Parenthood noted this weekend that Mississippi already had the nation’s worst maternal mortality rate – with Black moms nearly 3× more likely to die than white moms – and called the bans “dangerously exacerbating” the crisis .
Why It Matters: Black women disproportionately suffer from pregnancy-related health issues. The intersection of abortion restrictions and systemic health disparities is putting their lives at further risk. Yet these nuanced impacts barely register in national coverage of abortion politics, which often ignore the racial lens. (Ignored)
House GOP Budget Axes Aid for Needy Students, HBCUs. Washington, D.C. (Sat. Nov 1) – Educational equity advocates sounded an alarm after a House subcommittee advanced a FY25 spending bill that slashes Federal Work-Study and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants by 50% and eliminates multiple college access programs . The bill, passed along party lines, would also zero out new infrastructure grants for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and Minority-Serving Institutions – even as it slightly boosts general HBCU institutional aid. GOP appropriators frame the cuts as fiscal discipline, but Democrats warn they “would considerably harm low-income and marginalized students” striving for college .
Why It Matters: These proposed cuts (part of a broader 13% reduction to Education Department funding) got limited media play over the weekend. For Black America, they signal potential setbacks in college affordability and support, likely leading to higher dropout rates for first-generation Black students and crumbling facilities at historically Black campuses. (Ignored)
Haitian Diaspora Keeps Culture Alive Amid Crisis. Miami, FL (Sun. Nov 2) – South Florida’s Haitian community gathered this weekend for Fèt Gede, Haiti’s annual Vodou-inspired Day of the Dead festival honoring ancestors . In Little Haiti, drummers and dancers led spiritual ceremonies invoking the Gede spirits for guidance. The celebration offered a rare moment of joy and unity as Haiti’s humanitarian crisis (worsening gang violence and political instability) continues to deepen. Organizers also held a fundraiser for relief efforts on the island.
Why It Matters: While mainstream coverage of Haiti often focuses on chaos, the Haitian-American diaspora is quietly preserving traditions and providing aid. These cultural resilience stories – like a vibrant Fèt Gede in Miami – underscore the strength of Black immigrant communities but receive scant national attention. (Ignored)
“Ghost Town” Solidarity for Cameroon’s Anglophone Struggle. Boston, MA & Global (Sat. Nov 1) – Cameroonian diaspora activists in the U.S., U.K., and Canada staged coordinated “Ghost Town” actions this weekend to support protesters back home . In Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, citizens have for years held weekly Ghost Town strikes – staying home and shuttering businesses – to protest government repression in the English-speaking minority. Diaspora leaders held Zoom rallies and social media campaigns urging a worldwide economic standstill on Nov. 1 in solidarity. They also called on international mediators to address Cameroon’s forgotten conflict.
Why It Matters: This creative nonviolent resistance by a Black diaspora community is largely overlooked internationally. The Ambazonia (Anglophone Cameroon) crisis has killed thousands, yet minimal U.S. media cover it. The Ghost Town campaign shows Black diasporans leveraging economic protest tools similar to those used in U.S. civil rights history, hoping to pressure Cameroon’s regime via global attention. (Ignored)
Mississippi “Goon Squad” Deputies Sentenced in Torture Case. Jackson, MS (Thu. Oct 31) – In a case that shook Mississippi, six former law enforcement officers – five of them white Rankin County deputies known as the “Goon Squad” – were each sentenced to 4–5 years in federal prison for torturing two Black men in a 2023 home raid . The officers had pleaded guilty in August to an astonishing brutality: invading a home without a warrant, handcuffing and assaulting the Black occupants for 90 minutes (including tasing and sexual violence), then shooting one victim in the mouth in a cover-up attempt. Assistant AG Kristen Clarke noted the sentences send a message that such racist violence by officers will not be tolerated.
Why It Matters: This case briefly made headlines when charges came, but the conclusion – accountability delivered through the legal system – drew far less notice. For Black residents of Mississippi, long accustomed to impunity for police abuse, seeing these officers in orange jumpsuits is a milestone. It’s a reminder that sustained pressure (the victims and community demanded DOJ intervention) can yield justice, even if the wider nation has moved on. (Ignored)
Florida Standards Fight Continues Over Enslavement “Benefits”. Tallahassee, FL (Sun. Nov 2) – More than a year after Florida approved controversial African American history standards claiming enslaved people “developed skills” that benefited them personally, local efforts to reverse the policy persist with little fanfare. State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) has filed a bill to prohibit teaching that slavery was beneficial to the enslaved . Black educators this weekend quietly praised the bill as necessary to correct an “obscene revision of Black history” , but Florida’s GOP supermajority makes passage unlikely. Meanwhile, some Black teachers report skirting the offensive benchmark in their lesson plans to avoid retraumatizing students.
Why It Matters: The initial outcry over Florida’s standards (including rebukes from Vice President Harris) faded from headlines, but on the ground the damage and fight continue. The enduring tug-of-war over how slavery is taught has high stakes for Black children’s self-worth and understanding of U.S. history, yet ongoing resistance efforts receive scant attention beyond Florida. (Ignored)
Kenyan Troops Arrive in Haiti, Diaspora Watchful. Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Sun. Nov 2) – The first Kenyan security forces deployed to Haiti under a UN-backed mission arrived over the weekend to assist Haitian police in combating brutal gangs. In New York and Miami, Haitian diaspora groups held prayer vigils for the peacekeepers’ success – and for restraint. Many Haitian-Americans are cautiously hopeful the Kenyan-led mission could stabilize their homeland, while also anxious about foreign forces’ track record in Haiti. The Biden administration pushed for this African-led intervention but kept it low-key publicly. Why It Matters: Haiti’s crisis (kidnappings, shortages, cholera resurgence) disproportionately imperils Black lives but garners limited U.S. media sustained coverage. The fact that the global community – led by a Black African nation – is stepping in is historic. Haitian diaspora voices, intimately connected yet often unheard, are calling for a long-term plan addressing root causes of instability, not just a short-term crackdown. (Ignored)
About the Liberty Blackout Monday Briefing
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Sources – Section B:
https://apnews.com/article/4bf5074c920e601e80e931cb5a22a784
https://statenavigate.org/final-2025-virginia-forecasts-show-democrats-poised-to-win-virginia-elections/
https://seattlemedium.com/blackout-report-reveals-attacks/
https://www.blackenterprise.com/economic-blackout-nov-25-dec-2-blackout-the-system/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/30/trump-announces-lowest-refugee-admission-cap-in-us-history-at-7500
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-blow-to-trumps-power-grab-federal-judge-blocks-troop-deployment-in-oregon/
https://www.laaclu.org/press-releases/aclu-of-louisiana-statement-on-courts-decision-to-end-nopd-consent-decree/
https://www.binnews.com/content/2025-09-15-trump-ends-environmental-justice-projects-in-southern-black-communities/
https://stateline.org/2025/10/28/racial-health-disparities-could-widen-as-states-grapple-with-trump-cuts-experts-warn/
https://apnews.com/article/79182d927ee4b5f5f1b3616870678b95
https://www.hrc.org/resources/fatal-violence-against-the-transgender-and-gender-expansive-community-in-2024
https://chicagodefender.com/fbi-fires-agents-who-kneeled-during-george-floyd-protest/
https://chicagodefender.com/iowa-superintendent-ian-roberts-resigns-following-ice-arrest/
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/snap-food-assistance-benefits-questions-20251030.html
https://whyy.org/articles/snap-cuts-philadelphia-pennsylvania-food-resources-how-to-help/
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-10-shot-2-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/17483197/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/06/ai-teacher-assistants-promote-racial-bias-study-finds/
https://www.acenet.org/News-Room/Pages/ACE-Associations-Urge-Congress-to-Restore-MSI-Funding.aspx
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-greater-new-york/blog/black-maternal-health-week-is-more-important-than-ever-in-2025
https://www.wlrn.org/arts-culture/2025-10-31/haiti-day-of-the-dead-miami-fet-gede
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/new-contingent-kenyan-police-arrive-haitian-capital-2025-02-06/
https://apnews.com/article/3599ea174c1d19b781a4b9a0fa346b0a
https://stateline.org/2025/04/14/trump-has-canceled-environmental-justice-grants-heres-what-communities-are-losing/
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19752/presidential-determination-on-refugee-admissions-for-fiscal-year-2026
https://rcusa.org/news-and-media/rcusa-condemns-historically-low-fy-2026-refugee-admissions-goal-and-abandonment-of-refugees-most-at-risk/
I'm impressed by the amount of research and passion you put into this. I'm still a "free" member because I'm 80 and living on a fixed income. But I do support your work enthusiastically! When I grew up in the Fifties, it was common to assume that Black people (casually referred to with the N word) actually wanted to live in their own neighborhoods. When a Black couple moved in up the block from us, my grandparents begrudgingly accepted the fact because..."They're quiet, they're clean, and they mind their own business." I don't think anyone made friends with them.
Oddly, my grandparents were immigrants who had seen their own brand of discrimination. But they knew that their kids would assimilate easily once they learned English and had mainstream jobs. But not so for Black people. They could be polished and smart and refined, but they would always be Black. I'm glad that things have changed. But then... we still have a long way to go. As they said in the Sixties, "Keep your eyes on the prize." That's what keeps me going with my own political activities.
"Researchers documented 15,723 distinct “impact points” – including 14,072 instances of data distortion (from skewed research to falsified history curricula) and 1,362 acts of erasure like removing Black heroes from public websites and banning nearly 600 Black-authored books ."
For all of those claiming slavery days were a long time ago who utter those fateful words, "we elected a Black PRESIDENT fer Chrissakes! How can you SAY that America is still a nation based upon and steeped in racism, oppression, financial abuse and exclusion?"