Evolution Of Lynching. Virginia Fights Jan. 6 Lies. Black Unemployment Spike. MAGA & Jesse Jackson
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖A Mississippi civil rights group, Julian, documented 70 modern-day lynchings (2000-2025) in the South, expanding the definition to include discriminatory killings of various groups.
- ❖The NBA canceled the Atlanta Hawks' 'Magic City Night' due to 'significant concerns' from stakeholders, sparking debate about cultural representation versus corporate image.
- ❖The February jobs report showed a 'very bad' economic month, with Black unemployment rising to 7.7% and Black women's unemployment jumping to 7.1%, signaling a potential 'depression'.
- ❖The Obama Presidential Center is opening on June 18th, with Donald Trump explicitly not invited due to his history of racist and disrespectful comments.
- ❖The NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) system in college athletics is seen as a necessary correction to decades of athlete exploitation, empowering players financially despite calls for regulation from coaches and politicians.
- ❖A lawsuit in Texas challenges the state's removal of African-American, minority, and women-owned businesses from the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program, impacting over 15,000 businesses.
- ❖Virginia passed a bill mandating that schools teach the January 6th attack as a 'violent attack' and 'insurrection,' combating MAGA's false narratives.
Insights
1Modern-Day Lynchings Redefined and on the Rise in the South
The Julian civil rights group's 'Crimson Record' report documents 70 modern-day lynchings in seven Southern states between 2000 and 2025. Their definition expands beyond traditional hanging to include discriminatory killings committed by more than one person for an alleged offense, with or without due process. This includes deaths of trans people, indigenous women, brown people, and physically impaired individuals, though the majority of victims are Black men in their teens and 20s. The report highlights an increase in these cases due to online radicalization and racialized rhetoric, urging public awareness and policy changes to the 'toothless' 2022 anti-lynching act and coroner standards.
Julian's report documented 70 instances of modern-day lynchings in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. The definition includes 'a discriminatory killing committed... by more than one person carried out for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial or due process.' The Rayar Johnson case (2000) was initially ruled a suicide by the FBI but found to be the opposite after Julian's investigation. Policy recommendations include amending the 2022 anti-lynching act and raising coroner requirements, which previously failed in Mississippi state legislature.
2NBA Cancels Atlanta Hawks' 'Magic City Night' Amidst Controversy
The NBA intervened to cancel the Atlanta Hawks' planned 'Magic City Night' promotion, which was scheduled for March 16th. Commissioner Adam Silver cited 'significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners, and employees.' This decision came despite the Hawks' initial commitment to the event, which they framed as celebrating Atlanta's culture. Panelists criticized the Hawks for attempting to normalize a strip club promotion within a professional sports league, especially during Women's History Month, highlighting the clash between 'underculture' and the league's professional image and billion-dollar enterprise.
The NBA issued a statement announcing the cancellation of the Atlanta Hawks' in-arena promotion for March 16th. Commissioner Adam Silver stated, 'We have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners, and employees.' Hawks principal owner Jamie Girtz was an executive producer of a Magic City documentary, and the team's initial response expressed disappointment in the NBA's decision.
3February Jobs Report Reveals Economic Decline, Disproportionately Hitting Black Americans
The February jobs report indicated a significant economic slowdown, with the labor force losing 92,000 jobs and the overall unemployment rate rising to 4.4%. The impact was particularly severe for Black Americans, with the Black unemployment rate climbing to 7.7% and Black women's unemployment reaching 7.1%. Economist Morgan Harper attributed this to 'self-inflicted harm by an administration that has no coherent economic policy agenda,' citing job losses in manufacturing, warehouse, transportation, and construction sectors, and a concerning decline even in healthcare jobs. The panel frames the situation as 'economic terrorism' leading towards a potential depression, exacerbated by policies like tariffs and unnecessary wars.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a loss of 92,000 jobs, an overall unemployment rate of 4.4%, a Black unemployment rate of 7.7%, and a Black women's unemployment rate of 7.1%. Morgan Harper noted job losses in healthcare, manufacturing, warehouse, transportation, and construction. Scott Balden stated, 'The administration is affirmatively damaging and killing a once decent economy.'
4NIL Revolutionizes College Sports, Exposing Historical Exploitation and Empowering Athletes
The advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in college athletics is transforming a system historically built on the exploitation of 'student-athletes.' The term 'student-athlete' itself was created by an NCAA lawyer to defend against lawsuits, not out of care for students. While coaches and institutions amassed wealth, players received only scholarships. NIL now allows athletes, particularly Black players, to earn millions, challenging the traditional power structure and 'loyalty' narratives. This shift, driven by Supreme Court antitrust rulings, has led to calls for federal regulation from coaches and politicians, revealing a hypocrisy among Republicans who typically advocate for free markets but seek to control athlete compensation.
The phrase 'student athlete' was created by an NCAA lawyer to defend them in a lawsuit (). Coaches' buyouts totaled $280 million last year, and some coaches earn $13.5 million annually (). The 1984 NCAA vs. Board of Regents Supreme Court case (7-2 decision) ruled NCAA control over TV contracts violated antitrust laws (). The host states, 'NIL is probably creating more black millionaires on an annual basis per capita than any other industry in the country' ().
5Texas Lawsuit Fights to Restore Minority and Women-Owned Business Contracts
A lawsuit has been filed in Texas against the state's Controller for unlawfully removing African-American, minority, and women-owned businesses from the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program. This action, framed as part of a broader MAGA strategy to 'defund Black America,' impacts over 15,000 businesses and jeopardizes access to $4 billion in state contracts annually. The Controller's emergency regulation, issued without proper process and lacking a genuine emergency, is challenged as an illegal override of a long-standing state law passed by the legislature. Plaintiffs argue this constitutes an unlawful deprivation of property rights and competitive opportunities.
Texas spends $250 billion annually on contracts, with $4 billion previously allocated to women and people of color through the HUB program (). Over 15,000 businesses were de-certified by an interim controller's emergency regulation (). The lawsuit argues the controller lacks legal authority to change a law passed by the legislature, failed to follow emergency regulation procedures, and unlawfully took away property rights without due process (). A plaintiff lost a $2 million contract due to the de-certification ().
Bottom Line
The current political climate, particularly with the MAGA agenda, is actively targeting and dismantling economic infrastructure built to support Black, minority, and women-owned businesses, as seen in the Texas HUB program case.
This isn't just policy; it's a direct attack on wealth creation and economic stability for these communities, with potential national implications as other states may follow suit.
Legal challenges, like the one in Texas, become critical. Additionally, supporting and investing in Black-owned media and economic forums is essential to expose these attacks and mobilize counter-efforts.
The NIL era in college sports is creating an unprecedented number of Black millionaires annually, fundamentally shifting economic power from institutions to athletes.
This disrupts a long-standing exploitative system, but also highlights a critical need for financial literacy and advisory services tailored to young athletes and their families, who are now navigating complex financial landscapes at an early age.
Develop specialized financial education programs, wealth management services, and legal advisory networks specifically for high school and college athletes and their families to ensure sustainable wealth building and protection from 'charlatans'.
Opportunities
Financial Literacy and Wealth Management for Student-Athletes
Develop and offer specialized financial literacy courses, wealth management services, and legal advisory networks for high school and college athletes. This addresses the critical need for young athletes, now earning significant NIL money, to understand investments, taxes, contract negotiation, and long-term financial planning, protecting them from exploitation and ensuring sustainable wealth.
Advocacy and Legal Support for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
Establish a national organization or legal fund dedicated to fighting legislative and executive actions that dismantle programs like the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) initiatives. This would provide legal representation, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns to protect and expand opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses in government contracting.
Lessons
- Engage in local and national elections to vote for legislators who support equitable economic policies and protect civil rights, as political power directly impacts economic opportunities.
- Support Black-owned media and economic forums to stay informed about targeted attacks on Black economic infrastructure and to amplify calls for justice and accountability.
- Advocate for stronger anti-lynching legislation and improved standards for public officials like coroners, recognizing the evolving nature of hate crimes and the need for robust legal frameworks.
- Educate yourself and your community on the true economic impact of current administration policies, particularly concerning Black unemployment and gas prices, to counter misleading political narratives.
- Support initiatives that provide financial literacy and legal guidance to young athletes, ensuring they can effectively manage and grow wealth generated through NIL deals and protect themselves from exploitation.
Countering Legislative Attacks on Minority Business Programs
**Identify Unlawful Executive Actions:** Monitor state and federal executive branches for regulations or orders that attempt to override or dismantle existing laws designed to support minority and women-owned businesses (e.g., HUB programs).
**Assess Legal Grounds for Challenge:** Determine if the executive action violates separation of powers, due process rights, or lacks proper procedural requirements (e.g., emergency regulations without actual emergency, lack of notice and comment).
**File for Injunctive Relief:** Initiate lawsuits seeking immediate injunctive relief to compel the executive branch to comply with existing statutes and reinstate affected businesses, preventing irreparable harm.
**Document and Quantify Impact:** Collect evidence of lost contracts, business closures, and other economic consequences suffered by affected businesses to strengthen legal arguments and demonstrate real-world harm.
**Mobilize Public and Political Support:** Raise public awareness through media, engage community organizations, and lobby sympathetic legislators to apply pressure and support legal efforts, even if the ruling party is hostile.
Notable Moments
The NBA's cancellation of the Atlanta Hawks' 'Magic City Night' promotion.
This highlights the tension between commercial interests, cultural representation, and corporate responsibility, demonstrating the league's sensitivity to stakeholder concerns over potentially controversial promotions.
Donald Trump's explicit exclusion from the opening of the Obama Presidential Center.
This symbolizes a clear rejection of Trump's divisive rhetoric and actions against the Obamas, underscoring a commitment to dignity and respect within presidential legacies.
Quotes
"Our definition of a modern-day lynching is a discriminatory killing committed in the late 20th or early 21st centuries by more than one person carried out for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial or due process."
"The number of modern-day lynchings has not decreased, it's increased in recent years, and we expect it to continue to increase. And so people need to know that these cases are still happening so that they can watch their backs and understand what's really going on in America."
"The NBA today announced that it has canceled the Atlanta Hawks playing in arena promotion for the game on March 16th. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale. While we appreciate the team's perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners, and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community."
"The phrase student athlete was created by an NCAA lawyer to defend them in a lawsuit."
"They've been making billions off of black talent. They've been sharecropping. And now all of a sudden, oh my god, the system is just grossly unfair. This is just not right. But I thought, Scott, I thought Republicans love the free market. I thought the Republicans said, 'Let the free market decide.' I thought the Republicans were super believers in capitalism. Scott, what happened?"
"They want to make athletes poor again. That's their whole goal because now they got to work."
"Donald Trump, MAGA Republicans, they want to defund black America. They are targeting the entire economic civil rights education health infrastructure of black America. And this is a part of that strategy."
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