Trump Impact On Black America. SCOTUS Birthright Citizenship Case. Alabama College DEI probe
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the 14th Amendment, with President Trump advocating for a narrow interpretation of birthright citizenship, excluding children of immigrants.
- ❖A federal judge blocked Trump's executive order to defund NPR and PBS, citing First Amendment violations.
- ❖Another federal judge halted construction of a new White House ballroom, ruling Trump exceeded authority by demolishing the historic East Wing without congressional approval.
- ❖Florida Governor DeSantis signed legislation to rename Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump, with the airport code potentially changing to DJT.
- ❖Four Baltimore police officers face criminal charges for assault and cover-ups, exposed by the state's attorney.
- ❖Two Black Texas state troopers were awarded $1.6 million for racial harassment and retaliation, though the department seeks a mistrial.
- ❖The University of Alabama at Birmingham is under federal investigation for its partnership with The PhD Project, a non-profit diversifying business doctoral programs, due to potential Title IV violations regarding race-conscious criteria.
- ❖Shawn 'Diddy' Combs' appeal hearing for transportation to engage in prostitution is set for April 9th, with his prison release date shortened to April 15th, 2028.
- ❖Broadcaster Bob Law, known for 'Night Talk' and launching the 'Jesse Run' campaign, passed away at 86.
- ❖Trump's executive order to end DEI programs has led to massive job cuts for Black federal workers and targeted Black employees.
- ❖The deployment of US military troops in Black-led cities is seen as an 'occupation' and a unilateral federal action.
- ❖The defunding and staff termination at the US Department of Education have removed critical safeguards for Black families regarding discrimination and student aid.
- ❖Redistricting efforts are undermining Black political power and representation, particularly in states like Texas and North Carolina.
- ❖An executive order 'restoring truth and sanity to American history' is perceived as an attempt to sanitize and whitewash Black history at national sites.
- ❖A report by Nuvo Strategies for the Aramenta Project found 53% of Black women entrepreneurs lost contracts/clients, and 70% reported losses of $100,000+ in revenue due to anti-DEI policies.
- ❖Black women entrepreneurs are pivoting by doing business with one another and providing mutual support and loans to overcome economic impacts.
- ❖Elena Hoskins, at 57, launched 'The Strongest Fragrance Bar' after overcoming personal loss, with a portion of proceeds from her Divine Nine collection supporting scholarships for single mothers.
Insights
1Trump Administration's Challenge to Birthright Citizenship
President Trump argues the 14th Amendment, which protects birthright citizenship, was intended only for the babies of slaves, not children of immigrants. This perspective, currently before the Supreme Court in the 'Trump versus Barbara' case, could fundamentally alter who is considered an American citizen. Legal experts warn this theory echoes anti-Black and anti-immigrant arguments from the 1800s.
President Donald Trump has argued that the 14th amendment was meant only for the babies of slaves, not the children of immigrants. The Trump versus Barbara case could reshape who's considered an American citizen. Legal experts warned the theory behind it is tied to some antilack and anti-immigrant arguments used in the 1800s to deny citizenship to black people and Chinese immigrant.
2Economic Devastation for Black Women Entrepreneurs from Anti-DEI Policies
A report by Nuvo Strategies for the Aramenta Project reveals that anti-DEI policies under the Trump administration have caused severe economic harm to Black women-owned businesses. 53% of surveyed entrepreneurs lost contracts or clients, and 70% reported revenue losses exceeding $100,000. These policies, perceived as 'code' for targeting Black people, particularly Black women, directly impacted established, high-performing businesses, leading to delays or cancellations of growth plans.
The report found 53% of black women entrepreneurs in the study reported losing contracts or clients with 70% of black womenowned business owners reporting losses of $100,000 or more in revenue. 68% experienced revenue declines that led to delays or the outright cancellation of planned business growth.
3Dismantling of Federal Agencies and Their Impact on Black Communities
The Trump administration's actions, such as defunding and terminating a third of the Department of Education's staff, have critically impacted Black Americans. This agency previously provided vital safeguards against discrimination in schools and assistance with student loans. Its weakening removes crucial avenues for Black families seeking redress and support, offloading responsibilities to other, potentially less attentive, agencies.
The Trump administration has critically defunded DOE and terminated a third of its staff, including longtime black federal workers. The Department of Education, what its portfolio contains is pretty vast, right? from student loans to helping to address issues of discrimination in schools, being a place where black families, black parents can go to be like, 'Hey, something is happening and I'm trying to seek some sort of like red address for what's happening to to my child.'
4The Distinction Between DEI Jobs and DEI Infrastructure
Roland Martin highlights a critical misunderstanding regarding anti-DEI attacks: many focused on 'DEI jobs' (often held by white women), while the true target and greater impact was on the 'DEI infrastructure.' This infrastructure included contracting opportunities, grants, HBCU funding, and nonprofit funding that directly benefited Black communities and businesses. The attack on DEI was a 'defunding of Black America' by dismantling this broader economic and support framework.
I kept saying, 'No, y'all need to shut the hell up.' Um there's a difference between DEI jobs and the DEI infrastructure. The DEI infrastructure was what were all the things that were placed underneath that DEI banner. That's where contracting, that's where grants, that's where H.B.CU funding, that's where nonprofit funding uh was taking place.
Bottom Line
The legal system, specifically the courts, is emerging as a critical 'last guard rail' against political maneuvering aimed at undermining Black political power, with both Republican and Democratic judges enforcing laws that offer hope to Black organizers.
This suggests that despite legislative and executive attacks on voting rights and political representation, strategic legal challenges remain a viable and effective mechanism for defending and preserving Black political influence.
Organizations focused on voting rights and civil liberties should prioritize and invest in robust legal strategies, leveraging the judiciary as a key battleground for protecting democratic principles and minority rights.
The 'defunding of Black America' through anti-DEI policies and attacks on federal agencies is forcing Black entrepreneurs to pivot towards an internal, self-reliant economic ecosystem, including doing business with one another and providing mutual loans.
This demonstrates a forced but effective adaptation, where external systemic barriers are met with internal community strengthening, potentially leading to a more resilient and independent Black economic base.
Investors, philanthropists, and community leaders should actively support and scale initiatives that foster intra-community business, cooperative economics, and alternative funding mechanisms within Black communities to accelerate this pivot and build lasting wealth.
Opportunities
The Strongest Fragrance Bar
Founded by Elena Hoskins, this business creates fragrances rooted in healing, identity, and affirmation. It features two main collections: 'Affirmations in a Bottle' (e.g., Ambitious, Compassion, Empowered) and a 'Divine Nine' line, with a portion of proceeds from the latter dedicated to scholarships for single mothers.
Key Concepts
Economic Ecosystem
This model describes the interconnected flow of money within a community, where government contracts, grants, and corporate spending impact nonprofits, employees, vendors, and ultimately, the financial stability and wealth generation of families and local institutions. Disrupting one part (e.g., government contracts) creates a cascading negative effect throughout the entire system.
White Backlash to Black Success
This historical pattern suggests that periods of significant Black advancement or economic success in the United States are consistently followed by systemic efforts to undermine or reverse those gains. This model frames current policy attacks as a continuation of this historical cycle, emphasizing the need for proactive collective defense and internal community strengthening.
Lessons
- Support Black-owned businesses and actively seek opportunities to circulate money within the Black economic ecosystem to counter external defunding efforts.
- Engage with local and state representatives to advocate for policies that protect voting rights and educational equity, and monitor redistricting efforts in your area.
- Utilize legal avenues and support organizations that are challenging discriminatory policies in court, recognizing the judiciary as a critical defense against political attacks.
Building Black Economic Resilience in Hostile Policy Environments
**Circle the Wagons Economically:** Prioritize doing business with other Black-owned enterprises, fostering an internal economic ecosystem to mitigate losses from external policy shifts.
**Leverage Collective Resources:** Establish or participate in community-based lending and resource-sharing networks to provide capital and support when traditional avenues are curtailed.
**Distinguish Infrastructure from Jobs:** Understand that attacks on 'DEI' often target a broader infrastructure of contracts, grants, and funding essential to Black institutions and businesses, not just specific roles. Advocate accordingly.
Notable Moments
Elena Hoskins' journey from public divorce and church hurt to becoming a successful perfumer and entrepreneur at 57, supported by Gloria James (LeBron James' mother).
This story exemplifies resilience, the power of mentorship, and the ability to pivot and rebuild an identity and career later in life, offering a powerful counter-narrative to systemic challenges.
Quotes
"This was about slaves. And if you take a look, slaves, we're talking about slaves from the Civil War. And if you take a look at when it was filed, all of this legislation, all of this everything having to do with birthright citizenship, it was at the end of the Civil War. The reason was it had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies of slaves. It didn't have to do with the protection of multi-millionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children get an American citizenship."
"For a lot of black people, this has been this, uh, the federal workforce has been this pipeline that's uh, led to uh, the middle class, to financial stability, uh, to job security."
"What feels like such a break with the past with doing this, um, is you know, according to sources I've talked to is, uh, you usually do this kind of deployment for sort of crisis, uh, situations and often in coordination, um, with, uh, state and local governments as opposed to a sort of unilateral, um, action by the federal government. Um, and so it really, um, I think for a lot of people I've talked to has, uh, dredged up this feeling of sort of occupation, federal occupation of their neighborhoods, of their cities."
"If you studied the history of black people in this country, um, there's never been a period of black success that was not followed by white backlash."
"Miss James held my ladder and she fixed my crown at the same time without wanting anything in return."
Q&A
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