Trump Mail-In-Voting Order. KSU Students Sue Over Takeover Threat. SCOTUS Tosses Death Sentence
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Kentucky State University is owed over $172 million in underfunding by the Commonwealth of Kentucky over a 23-year period, leading to a lawsuit against its proposed polytechnic conversion.
- ❖The conversion of Kentucky State University to a polytechnic institution would eliminate liberal arts programs, grant the president unilateral control over faculty/student matters, and likely lead to loss of accreditation.
- ❖Multiple HBCUs across the South are owed billions in land-grant money diverted to predominantly white institutions (PWIs), including Tennessee State ($2.1 billion) and North Carolina A&T ($2.7 billion).
- ❖A federal judge declined to block Donald Trump's executive order limiting mail-in voting, stating it was 'too early' to intervene, despite civil rights groups arguing it's unconstitutional.
- ❖Apple is accused of retaliating against its first unionized store in Towson, Maryland, by issuing termination letters to its 70-90 employees, while transferring staff from two other non-unionized store closures.
- ❖The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, overturned a death sentence for Terry Pitchford, a Black man in Mississippi, due to racial bias in jury selection, with Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting.
- ❖The host criticizes Black organizational leaders (ELC, Black Business Roundtable, NAACP, Urban League) for not effectively leveraging their influence to challenge corporate and political entities on behalf of the broader Black community and workers.
Insights
1Kentucky State University Faces Existential Threat from State Underfunding and Legislative Maneuvers
Republican lawmakers in Kentucky voted to convert Kentucky State University (KSU), an 1890 land-grant HBCU, into a polytechnic institution. This move is perceived as a deliberate attempt to dismantle the liberal arts university by eliminating programs and granting the president unfettered control over faculty and student enrollment. The state owes KSU over $172 million in underfunding from 1987-2020, and an estimated $10-15 million annually since then, which critics argue created the financial instability now used to justify the 'polytechnic' conversion. Students and alumni have filed federal and state lawsuits, citing Title VI discrimination and illegal legislative adoption of the statute.
Kentucky State University is owed over $172 million in underfunding over a 23-year period. The proposed polytechnic conversion would eliminate liberal arts programs and give the president unilateral control over faculty and student enrollment. This has led to a lawsuit under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a state-based constitutional action. [], [], [], []
2Systemic Underfunding of HBCUs Across the South
Kentucky State University's financial plight is part of a larger pattern of systemic underfunding of HBCUs by state governments. Federal land-grant money intended for these institutions was historically diverted to predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The Biden administration sent letters to governors in September 2023, detailing billions owed to HBCUs in their states. For example, North Carolina A&T is owed over $2.7 billion, Tennessee State University over $2.1 billion, Prairie View A&M over $1.1 billion, West Virginia State University $852 million, and Virginia State University $277 million. This deprivation of funds has crippled HBCUs' ability to build facilities, offer competitive programs, and support students, leading to lower graduation rates and higher student debt.
Kentucky State is owed $172 million. Analysis showed HBCUs were owed billions where land grant money was diverted to PWIs. North Carolina A&T is owed $2.79 billion, West Virginia State University $852 million, Virginia State $277 million, and Prairie View A&M $1.1 billion. Tennessee State is owed $2.1 billion. [], [], [], [], [], []
3Federal Judge Allows Trump's Mail-In Voting Order to Stand, Raising Voter Suppression Concerns
A federal judge, Carl Nichols (a Trump appointee), allowed Donald Trump's executive order creating a federal voter list and limiting mail-in voting to stand. The judge rejected requests from Democrats and civil rights groups to block the order, arguing it was 'too early' because the order had not yet been implemented. Critics contend this legal strategy aims to delay intervention until it's too late to prevent its impact on elections, especially given that primaries are already underway. This decision is seen as part of a broader effort by the Republican party and Trump-appointed judges to restrict ballot access and create chaos around election results.
A federal judge is allowing Donald Trump's limitation on mail ballots to stand. Judge Carl Nichols rejected requests by Democrats and civil rights groups, agreeing with the administration that it was too early to block the order because it had not yet been implemented. [], [], []
4Apple Accused of Anti-Union Retaliation at Towson Store Closure
Apple, a company with a market cap of $4.59 trillion, is facing accusations of anti-union discrimination after announcing the closure of its Towson, Maryland store—the first Apple retail store in the U.S. to unionize. While Apple claims the closure is due to declining mall conditions, employees at two other non-unionized Apple stores also slated for closure are being automatically transferred to other locations. In contrast, Towson employees received termination letters and must reapply through a competitive hiring process. This disparity is viewed as a direct retaliation against unionization efforts, impacting 70-90 workers, many of whom are African-American.
Apple's market cap is $4.59 trillion. The Towson store became the first Apple retail store in the United States to unionize. Employees at two other closing Apple stores are being transferred, but Towson employees received termination letters and must reapply. [], [], [], []
5Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence Due to Racial Bias in Jury Selection; Thomas Dissents
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, cleared the way for the possible release of Terry Pitchford, a Black man who spent 20 years on Mississippi's death row. The Court found that the Mississippi trial court erroneously omitted a key part of the Batson inquiry, which ensures peremptory challenges are not used to remove potential jurors based on race. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority (joined by Roberts, Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson), emphasized the need for trial courts to properly assess whether race-neutral reasons for strikes are pretextual. Justice Clarence Thomas, however, dissented, consistent with his history of ruling against Black defendants in similar cases, arguing Pitchford had failed to meet the high bar for federal post-conviction relief.
A 5-4 Supreme Court decision favored Terry Pitchford, a Black man on Mississippi's death row, due to racial bias in jury selection. Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson were in the majority. Clarence Thomas was part of the four dissenters. [], [], [], []
Bottom Line
The systematic underfunding of HBCUs is a deliberate strategy to create financial distress, which is then used as a pretext to dismantle or alter their mission, effectively turning them into PWIs or lesser institutions.
This strategy not only deprives Black communities of vital educational resources but also aims to erase the distinct cultural and academic identity of HBCUs, undermining their historical role in Black advancement.
A massive, coordinated legal fund, anchored by HBCU law schools, could proactively sue states for owed funds and challenge legislative attacks, creating a deterrent and securing necessary resources for these institutions.
The current political climate, characterized by anti-worker and anti-DEI sentiments from the Trump administration and Republican-appointed judges, emboldens corporations like Apple and Starbucks to aggressively suppress unionization efforts.
This creates a hostile environment for workers, particularly Black workers, who seek better wages and working conditions, disproportionately impacting their economic stability and perpetuating wealth disparities.
Black-owned media and influential Black organizations must actively amplify worker struggles, call out corporate malfeasance, and mobilize consumer pressure to hold these companies accountable, linking corporate behavior to broader civil rights issues.
Opportunities
HBCU Legal Defense Fund & Think Tank
Establish a well-funded legal defense fund to initiate and support lawsuits against states that have historically underfunded HBCUs. This fund would also support a collective HBCU law think tank, comprising faculty, students, and alumni from HBCU law schools, to develop legal strategies and provide intellectual firepower for these cases.
What's the Hook? Card Game
A card game for intellectual music lovers where players identify songs from lyrics rewritten using formal, well-spoken, or proper speech. The game challenges musical knowledge across different genres and eras, with plans for genre-specific editions (e.g., gospel).
Lessons
- Support HBCUs by advocating for their proper funding and challenging legislative actions that threaten their mission and existence.
- Engage in local and national elections, understanding that political outcomes directly impact judicial appointments, corporate regulations, and civil rights protections.
- Demand accountability from Black organizational leaders to leverage their influence for the collective benefit of the Black community, not just individual or familial gain.
Quotes
"You caused this because you withheld 10 to 15 million a year and all you did was loan them $23 million in 2023 with interest demanding it be paid back."
"You can't complain about their facilities and their graduation rates and things along those lines when you've literally depriving them of upwards of $20 billion."
"People only love states rights when the states do what they want them to do, I'm afraid."
"There is nothing in our society, nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. N O T H I N G Boldface underline it atalicized all caps that politics does not impact."
Q&A
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